VIDEO: Armed gunmen struck pedestrian in stolen getaway car after Rotherham bank raid
The masked men struck at Yorkshire Bank in Broad Street, Parkgate, at around 8.50am - bursting in brandishing shotguns.
As they made their escape in a stolen car, after assaulting a member of staff in the bank, they struck a pedestrian crossing nearby Rawmarsh Hill.
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Hide AdA South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “Significant police resources continue to search Parkgate and the surrounding areas of Rotherham today following an attempted armed robbery.
“At around 8.50am this morning, officers were called to Yorkshire Bank in Broad Street after an alarm was activated.
“Three men with their faces covered are understood to have entered the bank and threatened staff with what are believed to be shotguns.
“The guns were not fired and one member of staff was reportedly assaulted by the suspects. The other staff have been left shaken and distressed.
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Hide Ad“The men fled the scene and nearby, on Rawmarsh Hill, it is reported that a pedestrian was involved in a collision with a suspected stolen vehicle.
“The pedestrian, a woman in her 40s, has been taken to hospital and her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
“Officers are treating this as a linked incident and there are road closures across this area as enquiries continue.
“There is not believed to be a wider risk to the community at this time.”
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Hide AdBusiness owners were asked to stay inside their shops by officers who cordoned off around 60 metres of Broad Street in the immediate aftermath of the raid.
One business owner said: “It was all a bit hectic to begin with, no one knew what was going on.
“The person who runs the shop next to me was escorted by police back to his shop because he was getting money out of the cash machine, that was about 9.10am.”
“Police were turning customers away and escorted them past the cordon.”
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Hide AdAnother shop keeper, who did not wish to be named, said: “Police told me I couldn’t open my shop at first when I got down here but they let me in eventually.
“I was stunned to see all the police, it was crazy.”
An eye-witness added: “I was walking to my sister’s and saw loads of police cars fly up to the bank.
“A blue car flew round the corner, it looked like police were chasing it.”
Forensic teams moved into the bank around 10.45am.