Police hunt for armed robber who fired blank pistol in Leeds shop

A man armed with a handgun went into a Co-op in West Park and fired a blank pistol at the floor.

Published 6th Apr 2016

Police are searching for an armed robber who fired a blank pistol in a Leeds shop.

A man armed with a handgun went into a Co-op on Butcher Hill, West Park, at around 10:20pm on Saturday 26 March.

He approached the lone female member of staff and demanded cash before firing the gun towards the floor.

The woman handed over cash from the till and the robber ran off towards fields on Spen Lane.

He was described as white, about 6ft to 6ft 3ins tall, aged about 40 with dark eyebrows. He was wearing dark clothing and a black woolly hat and had the lower part of his face covered.

Detective Constable Lee Thimm, of Leeds District CID, said: "This was a terrifying experience for the victim who was left very badly shaken. While we now know that the gun used was a blank-firer she was put in genuine fear for her life faced with an armed man who showed he was prepared to fire the weapon.

"We urgently need to identify this man. Although he has his face partially covered on the CCTV image we would ask people to think about the physical description, his clothing and the Asda bag he is carrying and contact us immediately if they think they know who it might be.

"We would also like to hear from anyone who may have seen the man in the area around the time of the robbery."