Robbery foiled at store

The balaclava-clad attackers, one with a knife, struck as a Securicor van was collecting cash from the Safeway supermarket on Westgate, Otley, on Monday afternoon.

One robber approached a security guard with a six-inch knife, but the guard had already put the cash into the van's sealed safe. No-one was hurt.

The raiders escaped in a stolen gold Vauxhall Cavalier - later found abandoned in nearby Ash Grove.

A shopper, who asked not to be named, said: "There was a brief moment of panic and half a dozen of the male members of staff raced through the shop towards the main entrance.

"It was all over in a matter of seconds. And certainly not long enough to stop the tills from ringing. Otley seems to be turning into Dodge City."

The attack comes after a similar incident in April, in which robbers pounced on a security firm van as it called at the store one Monday afternoon.

In the April incident, a security guard was beaten with a baseball bat as horrified shoppers looked on. The robbers got away with what was described as a considerable amount of cash, after smashing open a cash box.

Det Sgt Ian Green of Weetwood Police said they were not presently linking the two attacks, but were looking at similarities.

A Safeway spokeswoman said the supermarket chain was concerned this was the second attack at the Westgate store this year, but did not believe the store itself was providing a target for would-be robbers.

She said: "Obviously we are concerned, and we are very aware of security, but it was actually on a security van, not something in the store. On occasion these vans can be targeted, and in fact it was out on its business. That can happen anywhere."

The man with the knife was described as 5ft 3in, wearing a predominantly red jogging top, dark trousers, and a black balaclava.

Anyone who saw the incident, which occurred at 2.45pm, or the would-be robbers, is asked to contact Weetwood CID on (0113) 2413459.