Bedford Shopkeeper Faces Two Armed Robbers

23 July 2014, 06:01 | Updated: 23 July 2014, 06:04

Bedfordshire Police have told Heart a corner shop owner was confronted by two men armed with guns on Saturday night (July 19th) as he prepared to close his business for the evening.

The robbery happened about 10.30pm when the 27 year-old shopkeeper had just served the last customer at the Bangher Stores on the corner of Whitbread Avenue and Bedford Road in Kempston.

The two robbers ran in, both wearing balaclavas, one armed with a shotgun and the other with what appeared to be a revolver.

They made the shopkeeper lie on the floor and then stole money and cigarettes from the counter, before running off towards Bedford and getting into a car waiting at nearby Riverside Close, just before the railway bridge on Bedford Road.

The car, a small black three door saloon driven by a third person, then drove along Riverside Close, turned up Whitbread Avenue back past the shop and left down Bedford  Road towards town.

Police are looking for information and witnesses to the incident - it's likely the area would have been reasonably busy with people coming back from the River Festival and the very hot night meant lots of nearby residents would have had windows and doors open at around the time the festival fireworks were going off.

Det Con Ian Johnson, who is investigating the case, is keen to hear from anyone who saw or heard any part of the robbery, or the car waiting in or leaving Riverside Close.

Det Con Johnson can be reached directly at Bedford CID on 01234 275114, or through the non-emergency number 101.

The force control room can be texted on 07786 200011