Essex: Police Investigate Two Armed Robberies

3 January 2012, 15:22 | Updated: 3 January 2012, 17:24

Essex Police are investigating two separate armed robberies in the county this morning (Tuesday January 3rd).

Shortly before 10am a Post Office Security van on Canvey Island was robbed at it delivered cash to the Post Office at 271 High Street near the Admiral Jellicoe pub.

Two men wearing balaclavas, one armed with a shotgun, approached one of the security guards.

The man threatened to shoot the guard unless he handed over the cash box he was holding. The guard released the cash box with several thousand pounds inside, which the second man picked up. Both men then ran off up an alleyway into Winterswyk Avenue. Nobody was injured.

Then at around 10.50am three men, one armed with a gun, stole a three-figure sum of cash and a gold ring after threatening a male member of staff at a farm shop near Clacton.

The victim was working on a display outside the shop in Jaywick Lane when the three men arrived in black BMW or Saab car with dark tinted windows.

They stopped alongside the man, and one of the passengers threatened him with a small handgun. He was forced to hand over cash and a ring he was wearing.

Investigating Officer Ds Terri Hooke said: "The man was unharmed but very badly shaken.

"We want to hear from anyone who saw what happened or from anyone who saw the car in the area, either before or after the robbery. The car was quite distinctive with very dark tinted windows. It was also left-hand drive and had a white international car code sticker with the letters HZ or similar, on the bumper."