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Diner raided at knifepoint

Bethan Dorsett
5/ 2/2008

DINERS looked on in horror as masked men charged into a family restaurant and held the manageress at knifepoint.

Armed with kitchen knives, the gang of six first targeted two chefs taking a cigarette break at the Frankie and Benny’s Sandbrook Park restaurant, pulling them back inside the building on Sunday.

They then ran into the packed dining area, grabbed the manageress and dragged her back through the kitchen.

She was ordered to open the safe, from which they grabbed £4,000, before her ordeal came to an end.

The restaurant was shut following Sunday night’s attack and was expected to re-open yesterday (Tuesday).

Detective Sergeant Andy Butterworth said it was fortunate that no-one was hurt.

"This was a very traumatic incident for the staff," he said.

"The concerning feature of this attack was that they went into the main restaurant, located the manageress and dragged her away.

"The attack happened at about 6.15pm on Sunday and there were between 60 and 80 customers present."

The offenders were wearing balaclavas and hooded jackets but police are trying to establish whether they escaped on foot, through Stoneyfield, or by car. CID officers are scouring through CCTV footage of the attack but are asking anyone with information, particularly the customers who witnessed it, to call 0161 856 4646.

The robbery echoes a similar raid at the Spring Inn, Broad Lane, last month, when a gang held a knife to the chef’s throat before marching him into the restaurant.

Police are also trying to establish whether the robberies are linked to similar raids on the American chain’s restaurants in Bury and Ashton-under-Lyne, both of which have been carried out in the past fortnight.