£18,000 cash haul in shop terror raid

CAUGHT on camera . . . the knifemen burst into the shop

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THE owner of a Coppice clothes shop has spoken of his trauma after raiders threatened him with a knife and stole £18,000 in cash.

On Sunday morning two men stormed into Naz’s Fashion Store and forced Mukthar Ali (57) to the floor with a knife to his chest as he opened the shop.

As one of the men held him, the other ransacked the shop before taking the cash. They ran off towards Manchester Road.

Mr Ali said: “I saw two people outside the shop as I walked inside and opened up. A couple of minutes later two men came in with knives and started shouting at me. One of them held a knife to me while the other found the cash.

“He just kept saying, stay there, don’t move. I couldn’t do anything. I was terrified. I’ve had the shop for 25 years and nothing like this has ever happened before. I can’t sleep at night now and I’m scared of going back into the shop. I’m so shaken I can’t even describe it.”

Police are appealing for information. The first raider is white, 5ft 7in, of slim build with blue eyes. He was wearing black clothing, with his face covered. The second was 5ft 4in tall and slim to medium build and was also carrying a knife. Both carried knives.

Det-Con Kate Dawson said: “If you saw these men either going into or fleeing the store, or men fitting their description hanging around the area acting suspiciously at about the time of the robbery (mid day), please come forward.”

Call police on 0161-856 9063 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800-555 111.