THE shop assistant confronted by armed robbers at a West Albury takeaway store on Tuesday night has said the attack was brazen and desperate.
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The robbery lasted only seconds but the terror will remain with Padman’s Corner Takeaway employee, Liz Dannatt, much longer.
“Was it scary? Bloody oath it was scary,” she said.
Her grandchildren, aged eight and four, had left the store only a minute before two men wearing balaclavas walked into the Padman Drive store about 6pm.
“I’m just so glad they had left because to protect the kids, who knows what I would’ve done?” she said.
“I don’t know how people can be so desperate to do something so brazen.”
As soon as Ms Dannatt saw the knife one of the bandits was wielding, she grabbed the store owner, Anthony Baird, and they fled out the back.
“I don’t know why I did it, I just did,” she said.
The men stole two cash registers containing more than $700.
Albury police Insp Anthony Moodie said Ms Dannatt and Mr Baird had made the right decision.
“With somebody armed and making demands, it’s best not to get involved in a fight and obey,” he said.
“The crime is disturbing to us. We would say it is possible they may commit further offences and that’s why we want to stop it.”
Insp Moodie called for public assistance.
One man is described as being a thin Caucasian in his 20s or 30s and 170-175 centimetres tall. He carried an orange bag and wore a dark checked shirt.
The other is about the same age and 180 to 185 centimetres tall.
He has a medium build. He was wearing a dark hooded jumper and dark pants.
Mr Baird said there has been a break-in 18 months ago but no hold-ups in the four years he had owned the business.
The thieves fled in a white Ford Falcon sedan which had been parked in nearby Gulson Street.
Mr Baird said many customers had contacted the store yesterday.
Customer Travis Dawson said he would no longer let his children go to the store unsupervised.
“This is pretty disgusting,” he said.
“There are a lot of families in this area.”
Resident Val Costanzo, who moved to the area this month, had thought it would be a safe place to live.
“You check these things before you move somewhere,” she said.
“It’s a sad thing to happen to people.”
Phone Albury police on (02) 6023 9299 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 with information.