Cambs.com

ARMED officers were on the scene of the city centre gun robbery within minutes as a massive manhunt swung into operation.

Senior police chiefs said almost every officer on duty in the city yesterday was called out to search for the two thugs, who were armed with a hand gun and tried to rob jewellers Harvey Daly in Long Causeway at about 10.40am.

They are now appealing for witnesses and anyone who might know the gunman, snapped by Evening Telegraph photographer Rowland Hobson, to come forward.

He was seen pointing a gun at the head of a brave passer-by who was trying to apprehend him, before dropping the weapon outside Starbucks and fleeing.

Detective Inspector Karryann Beeby is leading the hunt for the two men who remain on the run.

She said: “It was a very brave thing to do. He might hold a vital piece of information which is key to the inquiry.

“They may have exchanged words so he might know where he is from. Armed robbery is a very serious offence and when there are reports of one we pull out all the stops.

“I wouldn’t like to hazard a guess at how many officers were involved at its peak but it will have been virtually everyone on duty who wasn’t involved in the search for Sally Middleton.

“Our main line of inquiry focuses on the picture taken by the Evening Telegraph.”

The first police were on scene within minutes of the first 999 calls made as shocked shoppers witnessed the heroic passer-by trying to stop the armed robber.

Police officers, carrying automatic weapons, checked Mr Hobson’s photograph before running into the Cathedral precincts in hot pursuit.

Witnesses described the scene as being straight out of a Hollywood film.

A police helicopter was soon in the air while plain clothes police officers were passing unnoticed through the city centre crowds looking for any other clues.

The resources thrown at the hunt included armed response officers from Lincolnshire as well as from Cambridgeshire police.

But in the chaos which surrounded the immediate moments after the robbery, the two men slipped away.

Police taped off a stretch of Long Causeway, a significant part of Cathedral Square and closed the gate in Norman Arch, the main entrance to Peterborough Cathedral.

Dozens of shoppers and staff in Evolution, Blacks, Cheltenham and Gloucester, Starbucks and Nero’s cafe were evacuated.

Forensic officers then conducted a fingertip search for clues as detectives built up a picture of what happened.

Hours of CCTV footage are now being trawled through as officers work out the two men’s movements both before and after the event.

But detectives were quick to reassure the public that this was a rare event.

Det Insp Beeby said: “We are very lucky in Peterborough, these types of crimes are few and far between. It is a very, very rare occurrence. It is a one-off that we are working around the clock to solve.”

One man was described as white, six foot tall, in his 20s with a shaved head. He was wearing blue jeans and a dark jacket with a grey stripe across the chest. The other is white, aged 20 to 25, wore a dark blue jacket, blue jeans with the bottoms turned up and black shoes. He had short, dark hair.

n Anyone with information should call police on 0345 4564564.

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POLICE searching for missing Sally Middleton focused their efforts on the small village of Morton after an investigation of CCTV footage led them there.

The CCTV images showed her getting off a Delaine 202 bus in Morton, near Bourne at 11.53am on Monday.

Inspector Leigh Allman said: “These images emerged late on Thursday and we moved officers to the Morton area to carry out investigations.

“We continued with work to follow up potential sightings in Peterborough but were also working with Lincolnshire police to see if she was in their area.”

A possible sighting of Mrs Middleton alive in Werrington on Thursday raised hopes of finding her close to the home she shared with husband Bill on Camelia Close, Werrington.

A team of 50 Cambridgeshire Police officers and PCSOs were joined by 30 volunteers as they scoured gardens, sheds and woodland for the missing pensioner.

Despite the sighting, police also asked bus operators to check their vehicles’ CCTV from Monday – leading to the discovery of her unexpected journey to Morton.

Anthony Delaine-Smith, managing director for Delaine buses, said: “We were happy to look through the CCTV and as soon as we saw the image we knew it was her.

“The driver doesn’t remember her coming on. They deal with so many people and she didn’t really stand out – she was just an ordinary lady in the crowd.

“It is something we are asked to do by police from time-to-time and we always know it is serious when they ask for it.

“We put the CCTV into all of our buses in 2003 and are glad it helped the investigation. We give our condolences to the family.”

An appeal for information was raised by Countryside Watch just hours before a farmer found a body yesterday morning near the village.

Stefan Gidlow, the group’s regional officer, said: “We’re always happy to help out with any appeals. We put an appeal out on Friday when we heard she was missing.

“We told people to look in barns and gardens because it is often farmers who make discoveries in these cases – and that was the case here as well.

“We will be keeping that message alive until the body is formally identified.”

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THE family of a missing Peterborough grandmother say they are grief stricken after a body was found close to where she was last seen.

Sally Middleton (82), from Celia Close, Werrington, went missing on Monday morning after catching a bus to Peterborough city centre.

A body was found by a farmer at 12.15pm yesterday (18 February) in a field in Morton village, near to Bourne.

It still needs to be formally identified but the family believe it to be Mrs Middleton.

Grandson Gavin Ho (23) said: “We are 99 per cent sure it is her.

“It is really upsetting for everyone, but we were were kind of prepared for it.

“The main things is that we found her and there is no more uncertainty. Some families are not so lucky to find the missing person.”

Police focused their search for Mrs Middleton (82) on the village of Morton, 20 miles from Peterborough, yesterday.

She was spotted there after police asked bus company Delaine to check CCTV for people with her description on Thursday.

After analysing the tapes, she was spotted getting off their 202 service at 11.53am on Monday.

A Cambridgeshire police spokesman said: “Police searching for missing Peterborough woman Sally Middleton have discovered a body.

“The body of a woman was discovered at 12.15pm in a field on the outskirts of Morton village in Lincolnshire.

“The body was discovered by a farmer who alerted Cambridgeshire officers who were nearby.

“Sally’s family have been updated and a formal identification of the body will take place in due course.”

Police called off their search for the pensioner in other parts of the city after finding the body.

Mrs Middleton had sparked a city-wide search since her disappearance.

She was last seen alive by her widower Bill at 9.30am when he dropped her at a bus station to travel to Peterborough.

CCTV from inside Queensgate bus station showed that Mrs Middleton arrived to the city centre at 10.25pm before heading back to the bus stop at 10.56am.

That was the last sighting of the frail grandmother before Thursday evening’s discovery that she had caught the number 202 service to Morton.

After hearing about the CCTV, devoted Gavin drove over to Morton and spent four and a half hours scouring the village.

He said: “My girlfriend Emily and I went up there at 8pm and were looking until 12.30am.

“We must have passed the field she was in but it was just so dark we couldn’t see anything.”

Police then focused most of their efforts on the small village yesterday morning, hours before the discovery was made by the anonymous farmer.

Shock turned quickly to sadness in the normally quiet village after police’s arrival yesterday morning was followed by the discovery of the body.

Julie Jones, who works in the post office on High Street, Morton, said: “Word got around quickly that a body had been found.

“Everyone is upset but they have set up a police mobile unit to talk to anyone, which I think is really good.”

“I have to say that the police have kept us very well informed after they arrived, so when the news of the body came through it wasn’t a huge shock.

“It is very unfortunate though and very sad to hear.”

Steve Diver, from Viking Graphics on Rosehip Road, Morton, said: “A lot of police turned up early in the morning.

“There was a search and response team, and you don’t usually see anything like that here.

“It’s very sad that a body has been found.”

Anyone with any information about Mrs Middleton’s disappearance should call Cambridgeshire Police on 0345 456 456.

Timeline of the search for Sally

THE search for Sally Middleton has gripped the city all week.

Monday 9.30am: Sally is dropped off by her husband Bill at the bus stop on Fulbridge Road, Werrington

10.25am: Seen on Queensgate CCTV getting off the bus

10.56am: Spotted returning to the bus station

7pm: Husband Bill reports Sally missing to the police

Tuesday 1pm: The ET raises appeal for witnesses

Thursday 9.15am: Potential sighting of Sally in Werrington

11am: Police ask Delaine to check bus CCTV

4pm: Image is found of Sally getting off a bus in Morton at 11.53am on Monday morning

Friday 9am: Police deploy officers to search village

12.15pm: Body found in field

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MORE than £68,000 earmarked for communities in Peterborough has still not been spent by councillors – with just six weeks to go before it disappears.

Councillors in just four out of the 24 Peterborough City Council wards have spent all of the £10,000 given to them through the Community Leadership Fund (CLF) – which is to be spent on improving their ward’s social and environmental character.

And those in the wards with cash remaining only have until the end of March to spend it – or it will go back into the council’s main budget and communities will miss out.

Eye and Thorney councillor David Sanders, who along with fellow ward councillor Ray Dobbs has spent the ward’s £10,000 allocation, said councillors should “get off their backsides” to find causes deserving of money.

He said: “I am extremely saddened that this amount of money has not yet been spent as the fund is a great opportunity for councillors to make a real difference in their community.

“Councillors may say that not enough groups are bidding for the cash but they need to get off their backsides and engage with their communities as there are plenty of worthy causes around.”

The area with the most cash left is the Park Ward – home to Cllrs John Peach, Yvonne Lowndes and Pam Kreling – which still has a massive £7,550 left to spend.

Cllr Peach said he did not know why the money had not yet been spent but he was confident it would all be gone by the end of March.

He said: “There’s no reason for it but we’ve always spent ours and we currently have a couple of requests we are considering.

“It can be time-consuming putting these requests through as you have to get quotes for work and then order the products you want to buy.”

Other wards with large amounts left to spend are Orton with Hampton – whose ward councillors include Nigel North as well as cabinet members David Seaton and Sheila Scott – which has £7,115 left, while Councillor Michael Fletcher’s ward Bretton South has £6,214 remaining in the fund.

So far this year, the fund has been used to purchase things including a kitchen refurbishment in Stanground Community Centre; tree and shrub planting in Orton Long ueville; and a trip to Ypres for William Law Primary School pupils in Werrington North.

Cllr Nick Sandford, who along with fellow Liberal Democrat councillor Asif Shaheed still has £5,315 to spend in his Walton ward, has said it might be the case that some money is left over.

He said: “Normally community groups in Walton will come forward to us during the year, but we have not had that many come forward this year so we will now go out to them.

“We should be able to spend the rest if we find suitable projects and the money is required, but if we are still £2,000 short then we will not spend it.”

Cllr John Fox, whose Werrington North ward has spent all of the money from the fund, said: “If other wards aren’t spending it then give it to us, we can find plenty of people who need it.”

Wards with the most cash left

• Park – £7,550.

• Orton/Hampton – £7,115.

• Bretton South – £6,214

• Walton – £5,315

• Dogsthorpe – £5,148

• Fletton – £4,979

• Werrington South – £4,464.

• Central – £4,340

• Paston/Gunthorpe – £4,176

• Bretton North – £4,080

• Newborough – £2,900

• Glinton/Wittering – £2,465

• North – £2,345

• Orton Longueville – £1,772

• Northborough – £1,596

• East – £1,500

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ET’s chief photographer captures terrifying scenes from armed raid on Peterborough city centre jeweller as brave passers-by give chase:

Pictured above is the moment horrified shoppers watched a heroic passer-by tackle a gunman as he fled an armed raid in a busy Peterborough city centre on Friday morning (18 February).

Evening Telegraph photographer Rowland Hobson captured these dramatic images as one of the robbers took aim at a have-a-go-hero’s head.

Police are desperate to speak to the unknown man who tried to wrestle the thug to the ground outside Starbucks in Long Causeway at about 10.45am.

But the robber slipped out of his grasp and made off into the grounds of Peterborough Cathedral.

Just moments earlier the robber and his accomplice, seen here making his escape, had held up Harvey Daly jewellers in Long Causeway.

One of the partners, Chris Hopper, fought off his attackers and chased them down the street.

His cries for help alerted shoppers in Cathedral Square, including the have-a-go-hero, who tried to foil the robbers’ escape.

ET photographer Mr Hobson was taking photographs of a promotion for this year’s Race for Life when he heard the commotion and, spinning round on the spot, trained his camera on the getaway.

The two robbers targeted the jewellers at about 10.40am yesterday.

Mr Hopper, who was left with a cut on the bridge of his nose during the assault, said: “One man came in asking for some jewellery for his girlfriend. Another man followed him in but I assumed he was a customer.

“As I bent over to get out a ring the second bloke rammed a gun in my face and the first leapt over the counter and got into the cabinet.

“I didn’t even think about the gun, I thumped the one holding the gun but the other one was trying to grab a fistful of gold chains.

“I managed to throw him over the counter but I think he got some gold. I then chased him out of the shop and down the street shouting and screaming.”

Mr Hopper refused medical treatment saying the incident had caused enough trouble for the emergency services.

The two robbers made off towards Cathedral Square where the vigilante stepped in.

Witnesses described the shock that rippled through the crowd as they realised the robber was armed.

John McMeneny, from Peterborough, witnessed the moment the man brandished the weapon, pointing it directly at the hero’s face.

He said: “I don’t think he could have known the robber had a gun. He pointed it at his head but the man knocked it out of his hand and then tried to pull him to the ground.

“But the robber got away and ran into the Cathedral grounds. About five or six people chased after him but I don’t think they caught him. They could have gone anywhere.”

Phil Linahan was visibly shaken as he reported seeing the drama unfold.

The UPS driver, from Rushden, was making his daily rounds in the city centre.

He said: “I had just delivered to the jewellers and parked my van outside Starbucks. I turned round and saw what looked like a fight.

“It all happened in a second. One of the men dropped something which I assumed was a mobile phone but when I looked down it was a gun. It’s pretty frightening that they would do that in the middle of the day on a busy street.”

Mr Hobson acted on instinct to catch the moment in a picture he described as a once-in-a-lifetime photograph.

He said: “I was just getting the ladies for the Race for Life launch in position for the picture when I heard someone shouting ‘stop thief’.

“I spun round and started taking pictures but it was only when I looked at them afterwards I spotted it was a gun. I have never seen anything as dramatic in 40 years of doing this job.”

Wayne Burroughs, an ex-serviceman, sells copies of the Evening Telegraph in Cathedral Square. He has called for the passerby to be rewarded for his heroism.

He said: “It was a fairly unnerving moment. What that man did is extremely brave. He should be awarded the highest bravery award civilians can be given. Tackling a gunman like that is amazing. It just goes to show there are some decent natured people in this city.”

Anyone with details about the attack should call Thorpe Wood Police Station on 0345 456 4564 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

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A MOTORIST was taken to hospital after his car spun off a road and hit a tree.

The man, who is 23 yaers old and from Spalding, was taken to hospital with injuries to his arm.

The accident happened at 10.15pm on the A151, High Road, in Weston, on Thursday.

The road was closed until 3am following the crash.

Anyone with any information should call Spalding Police Station on 0300 111 0300.

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