Knife-weilding thieves rob Blockbusters

Mar 31 2009 By Rupert Basham

Two teenage members of staff were dramatically threatened at knife point on Friday evening, at Blockbuster in Cobham.

Just before closing time at 10.00pm on March 27, two men wearing hooded tops entered the movie rental shop, in Anyards Road brandishing a large kitchen knife and a screwdriver.

Three customers in the shop, watched as the offenders threatened the staff and made their way behind the counter.

The suspects forced the staff to empty cash from the two tills into plastic bags before leaving, possibly via Freelands Road and towards Cobham High Street.

Neither of the staff members or any customers were injured during the incident.

Detective constable Chris Ewan, leading the police investigation, said: "This was a cowardly and planned offence where two teenage store workers have been threatened and robbed by two cynical thieves.

"I am very keen to establish the movements of the suspects both before and after the incident and would like to hear from anyone who may have seen the men getting into a vehicle.

"It's clear the suspects must have been desperate to carry out this crime in a busy shop with other people present. It was obviously an extremely frightening experience for the staff and customers in the store."

At the time of going to press, Blockbuster were unable to comment.

Police are looking for a white man who is around 5ft 10ins tall and who was wearing a black hooded top, dark shoes, a baseball cap with a checked pattern and spoke with a southern accent.

The second suspect is white, around 6ft 1ins and wearing blue jeans, a grey hooded top with a blue strip across the chest and was carrying a grey bag.