FOUR people appeared in court yesterday accused of involvement in knifepoint raids at a housing office and village post office on the same day.

Cashiers and customers were threatened with knives at both a housing rent office in Shiney Row, Wearside, and at a post office in Front Street, Langley Park, County Durham, within a two-hour period on February 19.

Raiders fled empty-handed from the housing office, but escaped with cash from the post office.

Yestereday, Stephen Kenneth Ambler, 23, and Kay Thompson, 33, both of Downs Lane, and 31-year-old Gary Hickman, of Henry Street, all Hetton-le-Hole, plus 25-year-old Thomas Mason, of Dunkirk Avenue, Houghton-le-Spring, all on Wearside, were remanded in custody by Durham Crown Court on charges of conspiracy to rob.

The hearing was adjourned, without pleas being taken, to a provisional date in June.

A hearing was set for tomorrow before a judge in chambers to apply for bail in all four cases.