Camden News: removals van | rob | security van | banknotes | Sainsbury's supermarket Camden Road

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Camden News - by TOM FOOT and PAUL KEILTHY
Published: 2 April 2009

The removals van blocks in the getaway vehicle

Passing driver foils attempt to rob security van

Removals man blocks in getaway car

A REMOVALS man foiled a smash-and-grab robbery after ramming his van in front of the getaway car.
The drama unfolded on Tuesday in Camden Town after a security van driver had been kicked in the back and robbed of a sealed box of banknotes being delivering to cash machines outside Sainsbury’s supermarket in Camden Road at 2.30pm.
The thief crossed the crowded street and jumped into a silver Mercedes – but the removals man jammed the luxury silver convertible up against the curb.
The driver, a reluctant hero who declined to be named or have his picture in the New Journal, said: “We were just driving down the road and my wife saw a man being kicked to the ground. There was a lot of screaming and I saw the attacker running across the road with a box.
“He jumped into a parked Mercedes we were driving past. I didn’t stop to think – I just pushed our van against it. They ran off in different directions dropping the box on the pavement.”
He added: “I am not a hero. When you see this in Camden it’s scary – but you have to try to stop them.”
Police tackled the getaway driver outside the Camden High Street branch of Curry’s. The thief, in his 20s, made it to Carol Street before being arrested by police following a five-minute chase.
The driver of the “Loomis” security van was treated for a head injury at the scene. During the melee, the security van was ticketed by a traffic warden – police said the £120 fine was likely to be cancelled.
Neighbouring shopkeepers said a similar robbery had taken place on the same van company outside Sainsbury’s two weeks ago, but police denied they had been following the suspects.
Officers from the Flying Squad at Finchley are investigating.
A Met spokeswoman said: “We were called at 2.25pm to reports of a robbery on a cash in transit van in Camden Road.
“The security guard was approaching Sainsbury’s when he was approached by a male suspect who hit him from behind and took his cash box. The suspect got into a silver Mercedes convertible driven by a second male and made off. Members of the public assisted in preventing the vehicle from getting away. The two suspects ‘A’ and ‘B’ were arrested by police close to the scene.”

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