Driver threatened in cash machine raid

Shortly after 9.30am on Saturday 23 July 2016, two men wearing balaclavas, one armed with a sledgehammer, approached a cash delivery driver who was filling a cash machine at McColls, on Car Bank Street in Atherton.

The armed man threatened the driver and demanded that the driver opened up the machine.

The second man removed two cash boxes from inside and passed them to the other, who smashed them open with the sledgehammer. A third box was taken out of the machine but the dye alarm was activated when the men tried to open it.

The pair stuffed the cash into a holdall and fled the scene in a black VW Toureg that was waiting on Formby Avenue towards the Hagfold estate.

The vehicle was later found abandoned on Cowper Avenue at around 9.40am and was set on fire close to local houses.

Three men were seen leaving the vehicle carrying a holdall and they then fled the area in a white cadi type van.

One man was described as white, 5ft7in, medium build, wearing a black balaclava, all black clothing and black gloves.

A second man was described as white, wearing all dark clothing, a black balaclava, black gloves and was carrying a large sledgehammer and black holdall.

Detective Constable Lynsey Watson-Perry, of GMP’s Wigan division, said: “These men have terrorised a man who was simply out trying to make a living and he is lucky that he wasn’t physically injured.

“It happened early in the morning on a busy road where people would have been out and about.

“They have then burned out a vehicle on an estate which could have could have set fire to nearby houses.

“We are appealing to anyone who may have been in the area at the time and witnessed this brazen robbery to come forward.

“We would also like to speak to anyone who may have seen a similar vehicle acting suspiciously in the area in the days leading up to this incident to contact us.”

Anyone with information should call police on 101 or Crimestoppes, anonymously, 0800 555 111.