Robbery rampage thwarted by officers in Leigh

Two robbery suspects are in custody after patrols and specialist officers responded to reports of a series of violent incidents in Leigh earlier today.

Police were first called shortly before 9.40am on Saturday 14 August to a report of two offenders in balaclavas armed with machetes threatening staff at a shop on Bradwell Road.

Subsequent calls were received in the following 15 minutes at stores on Warrington Road, Elliott Street and Green Street which are believed to have been targeted by the pair.

During the incidents, a male shop worker was taken to hospital for treatment to a serious, but thankfully not life-threatening, head injury. One other person also suffered minor injuries.

Local officers, supported by specialist resources included the police helicopter, arrested two men - aged 36 and 21 - on suspicion of robbery and they have since been taken to custody for questioning.

A vehicle believed to be involved in the incidents has also been recovered and enquiries suggest it was stolen from an address in Heywood on Friday (13 August).

Property that is understood to have been stolen during the robbery has been located, as well as items of clothing that the transgressors are believed to have worn during the offending.

Detective Chief Inspector Dean Purtill, of GMP's West Command area, said: "This was a frightening series of four violent incidents that took place earlier today, and it is thanks to first class police work that two suspects have been brought to custody and no further innocent people have been hurt.

"Our officers work relentlessly to help protect the public from incidents like these, and in the rare but frightening occasions that they occur, we will always race to the scene to do what we can to bring an incident to a safe conclusion.

"We have two men we are currently questioning in relation to this incident, but our enquiries are very much ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact us with any details they may have that could be relevant to this investigation."

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police online, if able, via www.gmp.police.uk or call 101 quoting incident 1118 of 14/08/2021. Details can also be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.