Appeal: CCTV Released in Investigation into Shaks Autos Armed Robbery, Huddersfield.

Friday 25 May, 2012.

Police investigating an armed robbery at a car dealers in Birkby last year have released CCTV footage of the incident in an attempt to trace the suspects.

At around 7pm on Friday 16 December two men - one armed with a shotgun, the other with a crowbar or spanner - entered the showroom of Shak's Specialist Cars, in Birkby Hall Road, Birkby, and demanded cash from the owner and three male members of staff.

When they were told there was no cash on the premises they stole two mobile phones.

During the robbery, the owner ran from the showroom leaving the robbers locked inside. They were forced to the rear workshop where they fired the shotgun once to break the padlock on the door before escaping into the back alley and running off towards Storth Place. Fortunately, no-one was injured in the incident.

Both men were masked with black balaclavas and both were wearing grey Adidas hoodies with three white stripes on the arms and dark tracksuit bottoms.

The man with the gun was believed to be white, of athletic or slim build, about 5ft 9ins tall and spoke with a Manchester accent. The other man was believed to be black, well built or muscular, and about 6ft 1in tall.

Police are now releasing full CCTV footage of the robbery, showing the suspects creeping into the showroom before carrying out the robbery and making their escape.

Police are also issuing a further appeal for anyone with information on the robbery to contact them, as well as anyone who saw two people of similar descriptions hanging around the car dealers on Wednesday 14 December between 7pm and possibly 8.30pm.

Anyone with information is asked to contact DC Shaun Topham at Huddersfield CID via the Force's non-emergency number 101 or contact Crimestoppers, anonymously and in confidence, on 0800 555 111.