Little Chef robberies may be linked
Police are linking an armed robbery at a Little Chef this week to fifteen similar attacks on the roadside restaurants across the Midlands.
Two men armed with a baton and a sawn-off shotgun terrorised two members of staff and stole £5,000 from the Little Chef on the southbound A46 near Warwick on Monday (8 July).
The offenders struck in the early hours after the restaurant was shut and the workers were preparing to leave. After being forced to open the safe, one staff member was shut in a freezer and the other in a fridge.
A spokeswoman for Warwickshire police said that the attackers, who were wearing balaclavas, both had Birmingham or Wolverhampton accents. They made off in a red or maroon Vauxhall Cavalier.
Little Chefs across the Midlands have been targeted, some more than once, in 15 similar attacks since June 2000. The company is offering a £10,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the offenders.
A spokesman said Little Chef took security very seriously and it was doing its best to prevent the raids. Staff affected had received professional counselling.
He did not think Little Chef was being singled out, as similar robberies had occurred at other roadside outlets. Anyone with information is urged to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
