10:49am Wednesday 14th February 2007
THREE masked raiders threatened a woman with a sledgehammer before making off with cash in a security van raid today.
The robbers raided the van outside the Tesco Express store in High Street, Norton, Teesside, just before 7.30am.
The men threatened a female security guard with the sledgehammer, leaving her badly shaken.
They then made their getaway in a silver car, which was left abandoned soon after in nearby Skerne Road, where it is thought they switched to another vehicle.
Cleveland Police said a major manhunt was underway, including the use of the force helicopter.
This is the third robbery on a supermarket in the borough of Stockton in recent weeks and police today said they were linking the crimes.
In November, masked raiders got away with cash after targeting a security van outside Tesco supermarket in Eaglescliffe.
And last week, Sainsbury's supermarket in Stockton became the target, when armed and masked raiders stole cash from security officers outside the store.
Two men were arrested in connection with the Sainsbury's robbery yesterday and were still being questioned at Stockton Police Station this morning.
Det Insp Craig Hobbs, from Stockton Police, who is heading the investigation said: "There are obvious similarities in the way the vehicles have been used to get away from the scene."
For full story see tomorrow's Northern Echo.
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