Man charged in robbery probe

POLICE have charged a 35-year-old man following two robberies in which the homeowners were tied up.

John Foster, of no fixed abode, was charged yesteray at Oldham Magistrates’ Court with two counts of robbery, possessing a knife in a public place and theft.

The latest robbery was on Sunday morning in Ryfields Drive, Uppermill, when a 43-year-old man was confronted by two raiders. One had a knife and forced the man on to the couch, where his hands and feet were tied. The raiders ransacked the house and stole several items.

The other robbery, on May 27 at a farm in Ashton Road, Oldham saw a woman tied to a chair while thieves ransacked the house.