POLICE are hunting three robbers who grabbed a shopkeeper, bundled her to the floor and stole cigarettes.
The owner of Kards And Kandy in Park Street, Cleethorpes, Sandra Halligan said she is grateful to one of her customers who spooked the robbers – meaning they just fled with only six or seven packs of cigarettes.
The robbery at 5.30am yesterday was the second raid on the shop in 12 months after Sandra's daughter, Lisa, was threatened earlier this year unless she handed over money from the till.
In the latest robbery two of the men, understood to be in their early 20s, entered the shop.
A third man was on lookout at the shop front.
Sandra, who has owned the shop for 14-and-a-half years, said one of the men wore a dark balaclava.
The other had his hat pulled down and his scarf over his face, so she could only see his eyes.
She said: "One of them bundled me to the floor because I was shouting to the lady who lives above the shop.
"I knew she was awake.
"One of them shouted at me to shut up."'
She told how a customer was walking to his work and noticed the gang of three acting suspiciously at the shop door.
He ran towards the shop, which alerted the man on lookout.
He shouted to his accomplices who grabbed six or seven packs of cigarettes and ran off along Freeston Street, Cleethorpes.
Sandra said: "It is the second time this year. Last time my daughter told them to 'do one' – and they did. But this time I wasn't sure what they were going to do and was worried."
She added: "It is a sign of the times.
"I was lucky really that the customer was around. They got spooked and grabbed the cigarettes and ran."
The shop owner praised Humberside Police for their swift response.
She said: "The police turned up fast."
A Humberside police spokeswoman said: "Enquiries are ongoing into reports that two men entered the shop at around 5.30am yesterday and restrained the assistant, enabling them to steal a number of packets of cigarettes."
She added: "The assistant has not been injured and enquiries are ongoing at this time."
If anyone has information in connection with this incident they were urged to contact Humberside Police by calling 101 quoting log number 74 of Tuesday, December 23.
