Police were today hunting two masked gunmen who burst into a takeaway and threatened staff before locking them in a storeroom and stealing cash.

The men waited outside Perfect Pizza, in London Road, Benfleet, and grabbed a delivery driver as he was getting into his car to go home at 11.30pm last night.

The men, one of whom was carrying a sawn-off shotgun, dragged the 20-year-old man at gunpoint from his vehicle back into the store where the restaurant owner was clearing up before leaving for the night.

The robbers demanded the delivery driver told them where the restaurant's safe was and handed over the float and the takings for the night.

Afterwards, they turned to the 38-year-old owner and told him to give them his wallet, car keys and watch. The gunmen then locked the two men up in a back storeroom and tied their thumbs together before leaving with the cash.

A short while later, the two prisoners heard a vehicle driving away.

The delivery driver managed to escape from the storeroom through a window and called a relative to come and help get the other man out.

Det Sgt Malcolm Turner, of Rayleigh police, said: "This is a very nasty incident and the two men are very traumatised and shaken up by what has happened, although they were not injured. "The men got away with between £1,200 and £1,300."

Call police on 01268 775533.

Published Tuesday, May 27, 2003

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