Attempted armed robbery caught on camera

The man, who does not wish to be named, shouted to the two assailants that the police were on their way as they attempted to rob the Uncle Jewellers and Pawn Brokers on Chapel Street in Pemberton, all the while filming the incident despite being threatened with an axe and a sledgehammer.

The two offenders pulled up outside the store on Saturday afternoon on a motorbike, got off and charged into the shop brandishing the sledgehammer and the axe. One of the thieves used the hammer to smash through the internal wooden door while the other used the axe to smash the security glass.

However, a member of staff who was on duty at the time managed to hold the two thieves back by barricading the door, and pushed one of the would-be thieves back through the broken security window.

Detective constable Kevin Telford said: “There was a very similar robbery at Neil Kay’s Jewellers in Wigan town centre last week, where again the offenders used a motorbike and a sledgehammer to try and steal jewellery, so we are looking into whether these two incidents are linked.”

“The shop worker showed incredible bravery in the face of adversity to hold these two thieves back and I would like to commend them for their actions. I would also like to thank the member of the public who was brave enough to take photos of the offenders, although we would obviously never advise people to put themselves in danger to do so in any similar situation.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.