Raiders target post offices across region

West Auckland post office was targeted by three men, who threatened employees and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash at about 5.15pm on Friday.

The North-East and North Yorkshire suffered seven other post office raids in the run-up to Christmas and New Year, most of which involved weapons.

On December 12, Hovingham post office in the North York Moors was attacked by armed raiders.

Heighington Post Office, near Darlington, was targeted the following day, by robbers armed with guns.

A few days before Christmas, raiders burst into Houghton-le-Spring post office. Christmas bonus pension money was among the cash stolen in that raid.

Last week, Derwentside district councillor Eric Turner, 70, forced two knife-wielding masked robbers from his Hamsterley post office, near Consett, when they threatened his wife with a knife.

A woman and two men from the Tyneside area were bailed in connection with the armed raid at the weekend.

However, police say that many more raids may have been averted by Operation Bull's Eye, launched by police across County Durham and Darlington in the run-up to Christmas.

Each division implemented its own plans to tackle local problems, and Derwentside police devised tactics to combat the threat of post office robberies through liaison with postmasters and by increasing patrols.

Inspector Frank Rogan said: "We paid particular attention to the post offices just before they closed - judging by previous years that seemed to be when the problems occurred.

"Our intelligence information said we needed to take action around that time of year, as premises are more vulnerable when there's much more money changing hands."

A Post Office spokesman said he did not think that there was anything unusual in the number of recent robberies, perhaps showing how far police have to go in defeating the robbers.

Anyone with information about the West Auckland robbery is asked to contact police on (01388) 603566