Delivery driver for Royal Eastern Indian takeaway in Ipswich speaks out after chasing food robbers
Royal Eastern Indian takeaway in Ipswich. - Credit: Archant
A takeaway driver chased a knife-wielding robber who stole £55 worth of Indian food from him during a delivery.
Tony, who did wish to give his surname, had gone to drop off an order at a flat in Chesterton Close, Ipswich, at around 9.40pm on Wednesday but was instead met in an alley by two men.
The father-of-two, who works part-time for Royal Eastern Indian takeaway, said the men told him they were smoking outside because they had children in the flat, and they asked to check the order before handing over any money.
“We went through the order and then they grabbed the bags and ran off and it looked like one of the guys had a knife,” he added. “I started to chase them towards Cambridge Drive but I wasn’t fit enough to catch them. I chased them until I couldn’t breathe.”
The 46-year-old then tried to call the number which the order was placed from, but he had no signal.
Tony, who lives in Ipswich, walked up to the flat but he said there appeared to be no one living at the address.
“This happens more than you would think,” he added. “Someone finds a building that’s not lived in and phones for an order and then you get there and you have the choice of handing over the food or facing the consequences.
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“It’s not just that they close the door in your face and don’t pay, it’s a planned ambush.”
Between placing the order and the time of delivery, the men called the restaurant another two times to check where the food was.
Tony said the robbery had not deterred him from delivering food for the Indian restaurant, which he has done for four years while also holding down a job as a support worker for people with learning disabilities.
With two young children to look after, Tony said he had no choice but to work extra hours in the evenings.
Jay Alam, owner of Royal Eastern, located in Heath Road, said: “It’s not right that this has happened.
“The money is not the issue, it’s the fact people are so narrow-minded to do things like that - there’s no need.
“I just want police to get to the bottom of it.”
The two male suspects are described as white, aged in their 20s to 30s, around 6ft tall and both smokers.
One of the men was slim, with blonde hair, wearing a black coat with a grey hooded top underneath and tattoos on his neck.
The other was of medium build with short dark hair and wearing a black quilted coat.
Officers are appealing for any witnesses to the robbery, or anyone with information about the men involved, to call police 101 quoting crime number 24222/16.
