Village rallies for brave women after staff hit in face repeatedly during Leeds Co-op shop robbery

Solidarity: Aimee Inskip, left, pictured with colleague Vicky Cullerton and her mum, Lotty Inskip with Louise Kavanagh at the Co-op.

Residents launched a fundraising appeal for Lotty Inskip, her daughter Aimee and fellow colleague Vicky Cullerton, who were working at the Co-op store, in Drighlington, when masked robbers burst in on August 27. Now nearly £1,000 has been raised and split between the trio to pay for them to treat themselves.

Lotty, who was beaten repeatedly in the face by the attackers during the ordeal after bravely refusing to give them access to the safe, suffered a fractured cheekbone and later underwent surgery.

Masked robbers "viciously attacked" Leeds shopworker who refused to give access ...

The fundraising appeal was set up by Louise Kavanagh, from Drighlington.

Mrs Kavanagh said: “I’m really pleased with the community spirit and how everyone rallied around and donated.

“It was just so nice and made me realise what a nice community we have got here.

“I’m pleased that after something horrendous, the three girls involved can now have something they can look forward to.”

The robbery, involving three men wearing balaclavas, remains under police investigation and enquiries are continuing.

Store supervisor Sam Croucher, speaking yesterday, said he was “caught off guard” by the community’s unity.

He told the YEP: “It’s always a nice thing to see everyone just rallying around.

“It has just kind of caught me off guard how everyone has just shown such solidarity.”

He said it was a “shock” for staff to see such a violent crime take place in Drighlington.

“I wasn’t on duty at the time but I got the call saying something had happened.

“I got in after the fact but the girls were shaken up.

“It’s a small, quiet village. Everyone seems to know each other, it’s not something that you would expect to happen here.”

The masked men entered the shop shortly after 10pm and threatened the three women who were on duty.

Following their demands for access to the safe, they began their attack after the women bravely refused.

Meanwhile, one of the men forced open the tills and removed cash.

The robbers then left the scene in a silver Nissan Juke, which was driven by a fourth man.

The car was displaying a false registration of ‘DN57 MXJ’, which linked to a different vehicle.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said the offence remains under investigation.

“Enquiries are continuing,” he said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the force on 101, quoting reference number 13180427412.