MASKED robbers armed with a crowbar threatened staff at the Co-op store in Newent and stole thousands of pounds worth of cigarettes, cash and stamps on Tuesday.
The robbers manhandled two female colleagues who had just opened the High Street store and shut them in a rear room of the building at around 6am on February 7.
The men then escaped through a rear door with their loot before speeding
The women heard a car wheel spin as the men made their getaway. Both women were shaken up but uninjured.
Mayor Eddie Wood said he was shocked by the robbery.
“My daughter’s mother in law was one of the Co-op staff opening the store,” he said.
“The robbers went in and threatened them with a crowbar and asked them to open the safe.
“We should have some CCTV footage of the robbers as there is one fully operational on the corner of Watery Lane.”
Both men were described as tall and slim and were wearing hi-vis jackets and balaclavas.
It's believed the offenders parked their car in the library car park opposite the shop as they waited for staff to arrive and open up.
Town councillor Colin Thomas said: “It seems that criminals see Newent as an easy target because of the lack of sufficient visibility of the police.
“Until this is addressed I can’t see things improving.”
Local businessman Colin Rooke said “The reduced policing in Newent is very worrying anyway but with this happening so close it just makes things worse.
“There is no doubt the lack of police presence contributes to this sort of thing happening.
“We want people to come to Newent but we also want to be sure they will be safe as well.”
Police would like to hear from anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious in the vicinity at the time.
Did you see a car parked in the library car park or see a car speeding off from the Co-op?
Please call 101 quoting incident number 48 of 7 February 2017.