Car seized by police after 'desperate' post office raid

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MASKED robbers allegedly attacked members of staff in a night-time post office hold-up.

Three men wearing dark-coloured hoodies and scarves covering their faces burst into the McColls post office and general store in Sherwell Valley Road, Chelston, at 9.45pm on Tuesday, December 6.

They are said to have hit one male member of staff and shouted abuse and threats in an attempt to get past the post office security system.

It is alleged that when they failed to get the safe open, the men emptied all of the takings from the shop till, thought to be about £1,000, before escaping in a waiting getaway vehicle.

Torquay CID chief Det Insp Nick Wilden said: "We believe one of the staff was assaulted and the men shouted abuse and made threats. It appears they wanted them to open the post office at the back of the store. This is being dealt with as a serious robbery.

"A significant amount of cash was taken.

"It appears to have been a fairly desperate, not massively well-planned robbery.

"We have seized a silver car and we are asking for anybody in the area at the time who may have seen anybody in a silver car looking out, or anything at all suspicious, to contact us."

Four Torquay men in their 20s were arrested later the same night in connection with the robbery and were in custody at Torquay police station awaiting interview.

Det Insp Wilden praised the quick actions of officers dealing with the case.

He said: "We were pleased good intelligence and the local knowledge of the officers involved allowed us to make early arrests ."

All four men have been released on police bail until February pending further inquiries.

Anybody with information about the incident is asked to contact them via the 101 number quoting police reference FT/11/8442 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111or report online at http://www.Crimestoppers-uk.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;