AN armed robber held staff at gunpoint at the Northwich branch of the Cheshire Building Society - just one week after an identical raid on the company's Weaverham branch.

Police are now definitely linking the two raids and are trying to trace a single suspect for both cases.

Staff at the Northwich branch were shocked when the man walked into their Bull Ring office at around 1pm on Wednesday last week.

Taking out a 10-inch handgun, he calmly made for the counter, and ordered a terrified assistant to open the tills.

He then left, stuffing the cash he had stolen in a plastic bag.

But he was spotted leaving the building by an employee who was returning to work from her lunch break.

She followed him into Weaver Way, and into the alley between the Midland Bank and Lavin's wine bar.

There, she and another man saw him changing out of the heavy clothing his was wearing during the raid.

Even as they watched, he brandished his handgun, ordering them to keep away.

He then disappeared into the crowds of shoppers in High Street.

"This was a very distressing experience for all the members of staff concerned," said Insp Kevin Lunn of Northwich police.

"And at the end of it, the man has disappeared into a busy shopping precinct. So the chances of someone identifying him there are quite high."

A man fitting the robber's description, wearing a dark blue hooded top, a dark coloured baseball cap, and white gardening gloves, carried out an identical robbery in the Weaverham branch of the Cheshire Building Society on Thursday August 27.

The suspect is described as being of slim build, aged around 25-30. He is around 5ft 11ins tall.

In both raids, the robber wore a black handkerchief across his face. He had no obvious accent.

Police are also linking the raids with another burglary at the Northwich branch of the building society on September 25 last year.

The description of the robber,

and his methods, again match those given by witnesses of the latest raids.

But police are not connecting last Wednesday's attack with the armed robbery which took place at Barnton Post Office an hour earlier.

David Whatmuff, the building society's deputy general manager, said: "The safety of our staff and customers is our prime concern.

"We have been in contact with the police to discuss what additional measures, if any, we could implement to improve security at our branches."

Mr Whatmuff explained that a security guard had already been posted at the Weaverham branch since the raid.

He was unable to comment on how long the guard would remain there, or on whether one would be employed at the Northwich branch.

If you have information about any of the raids, ring DS Nigel Groom at Northwich police on 01244 613258.

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