Masked gunman in Withington holds up betting shop and makes off with bags of cash

A pair of masked robbers held a Withington bookies up at gunpoint last night.

Terrified staff shoved wads of cash in bags and handed them over as one thug pointed a silver pistol at them.

At around 6.30pm, the two men in hoodies and covered faces targeted the bookmaker on Copson Street, just off Wilmslow Road.

Copson Street in Withington, where to robbery took place last night

One man walked into the shop and raised a silver handgun from his waist, ran towards the counter and pushed a white plastic bag through the gap in the security screen.

He told the two cashiers to put money in the bag and pointed the gun at one of the workers.

The second employee left the area with the bag, put some money in it and walked out of sight.

The thief got suspicious and threatened to shoot if the security door wasn’t opened. The door was unlocked and the offender walked behind the counter and took money from the tills and fled.

The main robber is described as white, in his late 20s to early 30s, about 6ft tall with a medium to stocky build. He had light brown eyebrows which were raised at each end. He was wearing a dark blue hooded jacket with the hood up and his face covered with either a snood or a neck warmer in dark blue or black. He also wore dark trousers and dark trainers with a white trim and sole, and he spoke with a deep Mancunian accent.

Det Con Joanne Walton from South Manchester division, said: “The staff must have be terrified when this man walked into their place of work and threatened them with a gun. The bookmakers is on a busy road and there must have been people around the area who saw one of the offenders waiting outside or the two men running from the shop. I want anyone who saw what happened to come forward but I am also urging the local community to pull together and help us trace these two.

“If you have heard someone talking about this at any point, or think you know who is responsible, please call us, any information you provide will be treated in strict confidence.”

Oliver, a former Manchester Uni student and current Withington resident, said: “Having lived in Withington for a year towards the end of my time university I am actually really shocked. This is something you would expect in other parts of the city. I thought Withington was surprisingly safe for Manchester, clearly I was wrong.”

Police have advised anyone with information to call police on 0161 856 4408, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.