Chiddingfoldnews May 15, 2009
A £5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to arrest
and conviction following the armed robbery at Thomas Cook, High Street, Haslemere
last Wednesday (10 December).
The travel agent has offered the reward in the hope that someone will come forward
and identify the pair responsible for the incident, during which two members
of staff were threatened with guns.
West Surrey Police have also found the black BMW estate believed to have been used by the offenders. The vehicle, registration number RJ04 MWY, was found burnt out in the National Trust car park in Tennysons Lane, Haslemere, on December 14.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Dave Pellatt from Farnham CID, said: “We are appealing for anyone who may have seen the vehicle in the car park before December 14 or saw anything suspicious in the area to come forward and tell us what they know. The information may be extremely useful in helping us to progress our enquiry.”
The robbery took place around 4-40pm when two men pulled up outside the travel
agent in a black BMW. Before entering the premises, they switched on the car’s
hazard lights and produced two traffic cones from the car boot which they placed
at either end of the vehicle.
The pair then entered the travel agent and threatened two members of staff with
guns while demanding money. The pair left a short time later with a quantity
of cash.
Having left the premises they got back into the BMW and drove along the High Street before turning left into West Street. Half way along this road near to Somerfields supermarket their car became blocked in by a dark coloured Range Rover. One of the offenders got out of the BMW and started to shout at the driver whilst brandishing a weapon at him. The offender then got back into the BMW and the car drove off along West Street.
The first suspect is described as white, average build and around 5ft 10” tall. He was in his late 30s to early 40s and had dark eyes. He was wearing a black balaclava and a shiny black jacket, black trousers and black gloves. The second suspect is described as around 6ft tall, of slimmer build, wearing similar clothes to the first suspect and a balaclava.
No one was injured during this incident but the two members of staff were naturally very shaken and distressed by their ordeal.
Police believe that the BMW used in this robbery is the same vehicle that was
stolen in a car jacking by two masked men on the evening of Wednesday 5 November
on Derby Road, Haslemere. In this instance, two masked men jumped into a man’s
car as he was starting the engine and ordered him out of the car.
DC Pellatt added: “We are doing everything possible to trace these individuals
and bring them to justice, and I would appeal to anyone with information to
call Surrey Police. You may even receive a reward if your information leads
us to the arrest and conviction of the two men responsible.”
ENDS Ref: WS/NB/08/96