SHOPPERS looked on in disbelief as ram raiders repeatedly smashed a 4x4 truck into a busy high street bank in broad daylight.

Men in a black Mitsubishi Warrior reversed it into the NatWest, on Cheadle High Street, last Monday at 11.15am in an attempt to break through to the bank’s vault.

After failing to get in the bunglers dumped their truck at the scene and sped off in a black Mercedes leaving staff and customers shocked.

Jason Baker, who works at the nearby Oxfam shop, said: "I heard a big screech as the truck pulled up and then bangs as it tried to ram through the wall. It was quite scary. Afterwards there were police all over the place and quite a crowd outside as people came to have a look".

Police confirmed no one was injured in the ram raid and the men fled empty handed, but a substantial amount of damage was caused.

Officers were also called to the Royal Bank of Scotland, on London Road, Hazel Grove, on Friday at 1.50pm. Two men had tried to smash the side window but drove off in a red saloon car. Police are treating the incident as criminal damage.

A PENSIONER was grabbed by her face as carjackers attacked her on her own drive.

The 69-year-old was returning to her house on Kitts Moss Lane, Bramhall, on January 6 shortly before 8pm when two men pounced on her. One covered her mouth with his hand and snatched her handbag before finding the keys to her black Honda. After the elderly lady begged for her handbag to be returned one of the robbers threw it at her and both sped off in the car.

Police have appealed for witnesses and condemned the unnecessary force used in the attack.

Detective Inspector Terry Sweeney, from Stockport CID, said: "These men are scumbags and committed a dreadful assault on a woman coming home from a day out.  She offered no resistance and was not even given a chance to meet with the men’s demands. Their intention was to get the car at all costs with no consideration given to the effect it may have on their victim."

Police describe the two men as white, slim and in their early 20s.

A DEVIOUS carjacker posing as a buyer went for a test drive with his victim - and led him straight into a dramatic ambush from the rest of his gang.

The attack, that saw a 29-year-old, from Parsonage Road, Heaton Moor, put in a headlock while behind the wheel, has led to warnings from police and car magazine bosses.

He had advertised his Mini Cooper for sale in Autotrader and, when the would-be robber responded, fixed up a test drive on January 4 just before 10pm. But the fake buyer stopped on nearby Derby Road and when both got out to look under the bonnet two masked men sprung from the shadows. The terrified owner bolted into the car and began reversing back down the road but one of the robbers climbed in too and put him in a headlock as a scuffle broke out. Eventually the gang stole the keys but fled without the car.

Police have appealed for witnesses and describe the man posing as a buyer as of mixed race, slightly over weight with a chubby face, 6ft tall and in his mid-20s-30s. He wore a black winter jacket.

Matt Thompson, a director at Autotrader, reacted with disgust that his magazine had been used in this way. He said Autotrader was working closely with police and other car publications to prevent further incidents.

He said: "We are very sorry to hear that one of our private advertisers has become victim of a carjacking. We are continually looking at ways to create a safer marketplace for motorists. This incident is symptomatic of the bigger issue of car crime, which is constantly evolving and it is vital that we all work together to stamp it out. Never let the buyer go out alone, there’s a risk they won’t come back. And never leave the keys in the ignition when swapping seats. Thieves may try to engineer such situations, so be especially aware."

The leader of Manchester council, Sir Richard Leese, was injured after he attempted to fight off the carjackers who stole his Mini Cooper, on Milwain Road, Burnage, on January 2.
Sir Richard was punched and suffered a black eye as two men wrestled the keys from him and sped off in the car which was recovered in Moston, near Blackley.

A CLUB steward was hit over the head and dragged back into the building as armed robbers forced him to hand over £2,000.

Trevor Powell, 61, had just locked up at Cheadle Hulme Conservative Club, Mellor Road, when three masked men, carrying a machete and a claw hammer, struck on Thursday (January 8) shortly after midnight. He was driving away and was about to get out of his car to shut the outside gates when he was pounced on and roughly struck over the head. The attackers then frogmarched Trevor back to the building and ordered him to open the safe before making him kneel on the floor as they grabbed the loot and escaped.

Trevor said: "I just want to shut the incident out but it will always be at the back of my mind."
Police have appealed for witnesses and released descriptions of two of the robbers. The one carrying a machete is said to be 6ft tall and of medium build. Another is 5ft 8in and also of medium build. Both were wearing dark clothes and balaclavas.  Trevor was left with minor facial injuries.

THE manager of a Stockport hotel has told how his staff’s nerves have been left shredded after armed robbers held a customer and receptionist at knifepoint. Four masked men burst into the Bamford Arms, on Buxton Road, Heaviley, on Thursday (January 8) shortly before 11pm brandishing knives and a machete. While two guarded the door the others jumped over the counter, one holding a machete the receptionist’s face and forcing her to empty the till and safe.

A customer who was in the reception was held at knifepoint and told not to move by the other robber.

Manager Danny Ward said: "They were quite aggressive and very forceful, pushing and shoving her and holding a machete in her face. She is quite traumatised and if these men could be caught it would help the whole team. We have all been affected by it and there are a lot of nervous people here so it would put our minds at rest. It is very unfair to put people through this for what is not a lot of money."

The armed gang escaped with several hundred pounds as well as the receptionist’s handbag. All four sped off in a Toyota Aventis, which was possibly gold coloured, along Nangreave Road in the direction of Offerton. Police say the robbers were all white males in dark clothes. One wore a dark jumper with writing across the chest and grey jogging bottoms with three white stripes.

A VET has told how she was left terrified when armed robbers threatened to stab her just three days after she started her new job.

The 25-year-old had just helped her last customer of the day at Lea Green Veterinary Practice, on Wellington Road North, Heaton Chapel, when two masked men with knives smashed through the locked door, on January 6 at about 8.30pm.  She and a colleague hid in a consulting room but the viscous thugs found them and marched her at knifepoint to the safe, saying they would stab her if she did not open it.

The robbers stole £300 and, to make things even worse, took her mobile phone and made off in her black Vauxhall Astra. The vet, who was too frightened to be named, said: "The robbers seemed high on adrenaline and I just wanted them to leave so did what they wanted. People just can’t know what it’s like to go through this until it actually happens to them."

Police have appealed for witnesses to the attack, which was made even worse because the robbers forced their victim to open a second safe when they were not satisfied with the amount in the first.

Detective Inspector Terry Sweeney, from Stockport CID, said: "It is disgusting that this violent crime was committed against people who were providing a service to look after animals."

The latest robberies also included an armed attack at Costa Coffee, on Cheadle High Street, on Sunday (January 11) just before 6.15pm, and money stolen from Hair by Klara, on Gill Bent Lane, Cheadle, by two men with carving knives on Friday at 6.10pm.

Other incidents since January 4 have seen men with wrenches steal a Golf GTi from a home on Granby Road, Heaviley, on Sunday night. Londis Store, in Heald Green and the Micker Brook pub in Cheadle have also fallen victim. There was also a carjacking on Queensway, Heald Green on January 9 just after 7pm.

Detective Inspector Kevin Dolan, from Stockport CID, added: "We are aware of this recent increase in robberies and are doing all we can to ensure those responsible are brought to justice. "We are liaising with surrounding police divisions to see if any individual incidents are linked and to swap intelligence."

Anyone with information on any crime can call Stockport CID on 0161 856 9840 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.