29/11/2006

Police officers shot at in bank robbery

Two police officers have been shot at during an armed bank robbery in Bolton, Greater Manchester.

The shooting happened at Barclays Bank on Winter Hey Lane in Horwich on Wednesday morning.

A gang of three men had robbed the bank and fled the scene. They were pursued by a police van, but then one of the gang got out of the car and shot at the police van with a shotgun.

A policeman suffered cuts to his face, which could have been caused by pellets from the shotgun or pieces of glass from the windscreen. His injuries are not life-threatening.

A policewoman is also being treated for shock.

The gang had pulled up outside the bank in a red Ford Focus and two of the men entered the bank and threatened staff with a shotgun before making off with an undisclosed amount of money.

The gang fled the scene in the Ford Focus, but later dumped the car and got into a silver Ford Mondeo, which had a false number plates. The Mondeo was later found abandoned in a pub car park.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police confirmed that the police officers were armed.

(KMcA)

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