Robbers forced shopworker into car and made him open store

Police believe this was a targeted attack and that the robbers had been following the victim.

Police are appealing for information (David Cheskin/PA) (PA Archive)

A shopworker was pushed into a car and driven back to his workplace by two robbers who forced him to open the store before stealing a four-figure sum.

Police are hunting the pair who targeted the 24-year-old at 10.45pm on Thursday as he walked on Spey Street, having finished his shift at the Scotmid store in Leven Street, Edinburgh at 10pm.

They forced him into a stolen blue Volkswagen Tiguan car and drove him to the store, where they threatened him and made him open the shop.

The suspects stole a four-figure sum of cash from the shop and drove off at around 11.25pm.

The Tiguan, with registration number SF08 WPU, was later found on fire in Lochend Park, next to the basketball court.

Police are appealing for information about the incident which happened in the Tollcross area of the city on January 6.

Detective Inspector Kevin Tait from Edinburgh Division CID said: “We believe that this was a targeted attack and that those responsible had been following the victim prior to approaching him and forcing him to allow them entry to his place of work.

“While this was a very frightening experience for him, thankfully he was uninjured and we are now pursuing a number of lines of inquiry to trace the suspects.”

Police said investigations had established that the vehicle was stolen from a break-in at Maybury Car Sales in Turnhouse Road on December 12 2021.

Anyone with information about the two men, or anybody who saw the Volkswagen Tiguan either in the hours around the incident, or in the past few weeks, is asked to contact police immediately.

Those with information can contact Edinburgh CID via 101 quoting incident number 3131 of January 6 2022 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where anonymity can be maintained.