Firearms police surround bank after robbery

Detectives are seeking witnesses to the raid on an HSBC branch in Barnsley Road, Cudworth, South Yorkshire.

They said a “substantial amount of cash” was taken during the robbery, which happened in full view of shoppers at about noon yesterday.

Witnesses reported seeing weapons, but South Yorkshire Police last night refused to confirm whether the robbers had been armed. Police firearms units were called to the scene but the culprits got away.

A spokeswoman for South Yorkshire Police said it was not clear how many robbers were involved. No one was hurt, although staff were intimidated by the raiders.

The bank was sealed off yesterday afternoon while officers searched the site for clues.

The cordon caused some disruption to traffic, some motorists deciding to turn around and try another route rather than travelling along the busy high street.

Cudworth councillor Charlie Wraith, who has served on Barnsley Council since 1974, said: “I was in the front garden when several police cars went screaming past.

“Then a friend told me that she had been shopping in Cudworth and she was amazed to see armed police surrounding the bank and an armoured delivery van, which delivers and collects money from the bank, still outside.

“This type of crime is thankfully quite rare here and I hope it becomes even rarer in future.

“You do not expect something like this to happen in a small village like Cudworth.”

Figures published by the Home Office showed that South Yorkshire Police recorded only one robbery per 1,000 people living in the county last year.

Violent crimes, burglaries and offences of criminal damage were more than a dozen times more common.

Robberies fell by 14 per cent across South Yorkshire, but the force’s Chief Constable Meredydd Hughes has warned that the region’s economic problems and cuts in Government spending might lead to a rise in crime.

The force spokeswoman said: “Police can confirm an incident took place at HSBC bank, Barnsley Road, Cudworth, at around 12pm.

“It is believed the offenders entered the bank, threatened staff and fled the scene with a substantial amount of cash.

“Police are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed anything suspicious in the area around the times of the offence or has information regarding the incident.”

Anyone with information with the raid should call police on 0114 2202020, quoting reference number BX/94/2011.