Robbery: the scene of the St George's Cross raid Pic: © John Linton
Police in the west of Scotland are investigating a possible link between two attempted robberies of security vans and the St George’s Cross raid.
In the early hours of Thursday morning, the Clydesdale Bank in Glasgow's St Vincent Place and the Halifax Bank of Scotland in Uddingston’s Main Street were targeted by masked men.
Between 00.45am and 1.05am, two members of staff from G4 Security were making a delivery to the Clydesdale branch when a member of the public saw a blue coloured Rover 75 parked with a masked male crouching behind it.
When the man realised he was being watched, he got into the car and sped off through a red light. Then, at 2.05am, three members of staff from G4 Security were making a delivery to HBoS.
As one of the security workers was about to secure the back door of the van, a masked man tried to force it open. When his attempt failed, he fled with a second man. Police say they escaped in a dark coloured saloon type vehicle driven by a third male in the direction of Bellshill Road.
The first suspect from the St Vincent Place incident is described as a white male who is between five feet ten inches and six feet tall. He had a muscular build and was wearing a grey hooded top with the hood up, grey or dark coloured scarf across face and blue denim jacket.
This description is similar to the one police have issued for the St George’s Cross robber. Police say there is no description for the other two suspects.
The attempted robberies happened only three days after an armed robber managed to steal thousands of pounds from two G4 Security guards who were filling up cash machines at the Bank of Scotland branch in Claredon Place, St George’s Cross. The man threatened the guards with a gun during the incident, which took place around 7.05pm on Monday.
A spokesperson from Strathclyde Police told STV News the two attempted robberies were being treated as related, while officers are currently investigating if the incidents had anything to do with Monday’s robbery.
Following the robbery and attempted robberies, James Kelly - Chief Executive of the British Security Industry Association - said: "This attack is yet another reminder of the serious nature of cash-in-transit robbery. Far from being a victimless crime, cash-in-transit attacks are perpetrated against men and women going about their everyday working lives performing an essential public service.
"The security industry is investing considerable resources in technology, training and intelligence gathering to reduce this crime and is working extremely closely with police forces and the Home Office to tackle the problem. There is much still to be done, but we are determined to reduce the level of violent and traumatic attacks on cash-in-transit couriers."
