A POLITE robber said “please” as he asked a teenage shop worker to open the till so he could snatch the takings.The thief grabbed the money - less than £100 - from the cash register at Underwoods Newsagents in Felixstowe and ran off towards the seafront.
A POLITE robber said “please” as he asked a teenage shop worker to open the till so he could snatch the takings.
The thief grabbed the money - less than £100 - from the cash register at Underwoods Newsagents in Felixstowe and ran off towards the seafront.
Sixteen-year-old shop assistant Ryan Miller gave chase but the robber vanished into the night.
Police with tracker dogs and the force helicopter searched the area after the robbery at the newsagents and tobacconists in Beach Station Road around 6.40pm on Wednesday.
Shop owner Anne Robinson said Ryan had been behind the till when the man came in and shop worker Margaret Archer had also been on the premises.
She said: “Apparently, the man said 'please' the first time he asked Ryan to open the till. Ryan was a bit taken aback and didn't realise what was happening - then when the man repeated himself he opened the till and he grabbed the notes.
“He left the shop and ran off towards the seafront and then turned right towards the flats.
“The police were very good and came immediately. The main thing was that nobody was hurt, though they were very shaken.”
Shop manager Norma Aston said: “Ryan did the right thing - we always tell the staff, just let them take the money. “Safety is the main thing because you never know what they might do.”
The man did not brandish a weapon but had his sleeve pulled down over his hand as if he might be hiding a weapon.
A police spokeswoman said the thief was described as white, aged in his late 30s to early 50s, around 5ft 10ins tall, of stocky build, with greying hair and grey/dark stubble, wearing a grey hooded top and blue jeans.
“Officers need to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time who may have seen a man meeting this description or anyone with information about who the offender is,” she said.
Anyone who can help should call Felixstowe CID on 01473 613500.
n. Have you been a victim of crime? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or email eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk
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