Shop worker praised for bravery after masked knifeman raids Droylsden store

A shop worker from Droylsden has been praised for her bravery after she led customers to safety as a masked knifeman raided the store.

The member of staff ushered an elderly woman, her grandchild and a man into the store room during the terrifying robbery in Tameside.The masked robber stole £3,000 from the shop on Sunnyside Road in Droylsden at around 10.15 am on Friday 29 October.

Police have released a CCTV image of a man wearing a balaclava they want to speak to.

A staff member, who asked not to be named, described her workmate as a 'very brave lady'.

She said: "I was in the back when he came in. One of the staff in the office saw him on CCTV and pressed the alarm for the police.

"The staff member on the shop floor came out behind the counter. There was an elderly lady with her grandchild at the till and an elderly gentleman. She took them into the store room and let him (the robber) do what he needed to do."She's a very brave lady. She was a lot calmer than I would have been.

"There's a gap between the till and the Post Office. He squeezed through there and just took money from the till and the Post Office and left the shop. It was over in a couple of minutes."Now it's just a fear. You're watching the door all the time because you just don't know who's going to come in."

Det Sgt Pete Goddard said: "One can only try and begin to imagine the shock and fear that those inside the shop will have felt when the offender cowardly came in with his face covered and made threats while wielding what we think was a knife.

"I know the image we have at this stage isn't ideal, but we're working with all available leads we can find, and should a more distinctive image become available then we'll come back to ask for further information if we're still unable to identify the man in the CCTV image that we've released today."