Bank exodus made our 田舎の 地位，任命する Office a 的 for 武装した robbers - and the ordeal was so terrifying we're shutting up shop

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接近 to cash is becoming an ever-増加するing problem for many people and small 商売／仕事s as banks shut 支店s and 除去する 解放する／自由な-to-use cash machines.

Yet the 撤退 of these services from high streets is having a horrible 味方する 影響 ? it is concentrating the minds of 犯罪のs on the major 役割 that 地位，任命する offices still play in the 準備／条項 of cash 施設s.

As a result, 凶漢s are 的ing 地位，任命する offices, committing daring and violent 強盗s in the 追跡 of hard cash.

On February 19, a 地位，任命する office in the tiny village of 修道士 Fryston in North Yorkshire was the 犠牲者 of such a 強盗. It’s an experience that owners Karen and Adrian Bullock never want to go through again.

Indeed, it was so traumatic they have decided to の近くに the 地位，任命する office and concentrate on running the convenience 蓄える／店 and their bed and breakfast 商売／仕事.

Tale of 外傷／ショック: Jeff Prestridge with Karen and Adrian Bullock outside their 蓄える／店 in North Yorkshire

Although the 地位，任命する Office says さもなければ, Karen is 納得させるd that small 地位，任命する offices like hers are ますます 攻撃を受けやすい to cash 強盗s, and that some of the 対策 recommended to 妨害する the 犯罪のs 簡単に leave staff more exposed to violent attack.

‘There’s not a night I don’t wake up thinking someone is breaking into our house or shop, looking for the cash we take as a 地位，任命する office,’ says 57-year-old Karen. ‘For the first time since we moved here two years ago, I feel 危険な. It’s a horrible feeling.

‘We thought this would be our last 職業 before we both retired, but now we are not so sure.’

We are sitting in Adrian and Karen’s home lounge at the 支援する of their village 蓄える／店 and 地位，任命する office.

Outside it’s grey and spitting with rain, yet it’s rather idyllic in so many other ways. The shop is a jack and jill of all 貿易（する）s, selling everything from delicious chocolate flapjacks (yes, I succumbed), everyday 世帯 goods, chicken curry pasties through to homemade pickles and jams.

The 隣接するing house is spacious, awash with ornaments giving away Karen’s love of horses.?

The four-bedroom B&B sparkles from a 最近の refurbishment, with beds as wide as they are long and a breakfast room adorned with 非常に／多数の Visit England 証明書s 認めるing the 質 of Adrian’s breakfasts.?

‘He cooks a mean 十分な English,’ 収容する／認めるs Karen. ‘He’s king of the kitchen.’ The 61-year-old is also a part-time agronomist ? an 専門家 in 国／地域 管理／経営 who 供給するs advice to 農業者s.

Apart from The 栄冠を与える pub and a wedding 発生地 現在／一般に の近くにd, the village 蓄える／店 is the heart of 修道士 Fryston ? a 指名する, 初めは 修道士 解放する／自由な 石／投石する, that it acquired because its quarry 供給するd 構成要素s for the nearby Selby Abbey.

Karen loves the fact that the 蓄える／店 is embedded in the community. She is a carer by profession and will go out of her way to help anyone in the village. Nearly a １０年間 ago she 始める，決める up Snydale Riding For The 無能にするd 協会 ? の近くに to where she 以前 lived ? which last year earned her a British Empire メダル.

武器: One of the raiders was 武装した with a claw roofing 大打撃を与える (とじ込み／提出する picture)

The 強盗 took place on a Monday afternoon. The exact time is for ever etched on Karen’s brain. ‘It was 4.50,’ she says.?

‘I was sitting 正確に／まさに where I am sitting now, on the settee. Susie and Joanne, two of our six part-time assistants, were in the shop ? Susie in the tiny 地位，任命する office area, Joanne in the 蓄える／店. Our three-year-old Maltese Shih Tzu was dozing next to me while Adrian was in the kitchen.

‘Suddenly, Joanne ran into the house looking drip white. “We’re 存在 robbed. They’ve got Susie,” she exclaimed. I followed Adrian into the shop to see a man 持つ／拘留するing a claw roofing 大打撃を与える.

‘I 叫び声をあげるd and dragged Adrian 支援する before the robber could use it against him. The other man, who had 直面するd Susie, jumped over the 反対する and they ran out the door into a waiting 先頭 which was driven away at 速度(を上げる）.’

What they didn’t realise is that Mel, the 地元の postman, was in the shop at the time of the 強盗 and had been knocked out in the fracas, 負傷させるing his arm as he 衝突，墜落d into a cupboard.

Karen rang 999, and after a three-hour wait an 救急車 took him to hospital. Although he was 発射する／解雇するd the next day, he has yet to return to work. ‘He’s on the mend,’ says Karen reassuringly.

The robbers got away with £1,650 of cash ? £650 from the shop till an d £1,000 from the 地位，任命する office’s 小型の-安全な.?

Karen and Adrian’s 介入 probably stopped the 犯罪のs from 的ing the main 安全な 位置を示すd どこかよそで. Although Susie 圧力（をかける）d the 地位，任命する office panic button linked to a 安全 company, it wasn’t 答える／応じるd to.

While Karen has nothing but 賞賛する for the police ? and was pleased with the 誘発する 返答 from the 地位，任命する Office ? she says the thought of another 強盗 is too much to 耐える.

‘The 地位，任命する Office told us that we should have a longer four-minute 延期する on the 安全な, and also recommended a button that would 大波 out smoke as soon as it was 圧力（をかける）d by a member of staff,’ says Karen.?

‘Our 見解（をとる） is that these 対策 would 簡単に 増加する the 危険s 直面するd by our staff if we were robbed again. They might agitate the 犯罪のs, and we’re not 用意が出来ている to agree to that.’

So, with sadness, the 地位，任命する office will be shut in 早期に June. A message on the shop’s window （一定の）期間s out the news ? and Karen, the author, doesn’t 持つ／拘留する 支援する in せいにするing 非難する.

‘Societal changes such as the 終結 of banks and 除去 of ATMs have resulted in 増加するing large sums of cash 存在 扱うd at 地位，任命する offices. The result of this is that 地元の 地位，任命する offices have become 平易な 的s for 犯罪の ギャング（団）s.’

地元のs are 同情的な to Karen’s 決定／判定勝ち（する）, 嘆き悲しむing the 暴力／激しさ committed by the 犯罪のs, but to use a 地位，任命する office they will now have to travel to the nearby villages of Brayton, Brotherton and Sherburn.

消えるing: The 撤退 of banks and cash machines from high streets is concentrating the minds of 犯罪のs on the 役割 that 地位，任命する offices still play in the 準備／条項 of cash 施設s

Karen says Keir Mather, the 労働 MP for Selby and Ainsty, has been supportive and （機の）カム to visit them in the 影響 of the 強盗.?

He has since called for 田舎の 地位，任命する offices to be given extra 安全 対策 in the wake of a rising 罪，犯罪 脅し.

The 地位，任命する Office told Money Mail: ‘This was a truly horrific 出来事/事件 and we have 申し込む／申し出d our support to the postmistress, her husband, and their staff.

‘We welcome the 真面目さ with which the police are 扱う／治療するing this 罪，犯罪, and we hope the 犯罪のs are brought to 司法（官）.’

Yet it was also keen to downplay the 罪，犯罪 脅し. It said that when 強盗s took place, it was usually the 小売 味方する of the 商売／仕事 that was 的d ? most of the country’s 11,500 地位，任命する offices are 位置を示すd within a convenience 蓄える／店 or village shop.

It 追加するd that the number of 強盗s that took place at 地位，任命する offices in February was 概して in line with February 2023, but that the 量 lost in those 強盗s was 負かす／撃墜する 57 per cent.?

It also said there was no 証拠 of a 傾向 of postmasters 手渡すing 支援する the 重要なs because of either 試みる／企てるd or actual 強盗s.

The 声明 追加するd: ‘While 犯罪の 出来事/事件s do occur they are thankfully rare, and 出来事/事件s have 減ずるd over the years, in part thanks to better 安全 器具／備品 and 改善するd 安全 手続きs in 支店s. Whenever there is an 出来事/事件 of 罪，犯罪, we take the lessons from that to help 改善する the 安全 for all postmasters across our 網状組織.’

全国的な Building Society, like the 地位，任命する Office a big provider of high street banking, told Money Mail that 犯罪の attacks had ‘been わずかに higher recently’. It 追加するd: ‘We’re proactively working with the police and other 財政上の 会・原則s to support 成果／努力s to 逮捕（する） and 起訴する those behind 犯罪の activity.

‘As a 部門 we are also working with Crimestoppers and Neighbourhood Watch charities to raise 認識／意識性 of organised 犯罪の activity 的ing ATMs and would encourage anyone who sees anything unusual to 報告（する）／憶測 it to the 地元の police.’

As for the 犯罪のs who robbed Karen and Adrian’s 地位，任命する office six weeks ago, one individual was 逮捕（する）d and then 解放（する）d on 保釈（金）. An 逮捕（する） 令状 has been 問題／発行するd for another person ? both live outside the area.

Karen won’t be at peace until they are behind 妨げる／法廷，弁護士業s.

‘The sleepless nights will continue, for sure,’ she says. ‘These people have 粉砕するd a 難破させるing ball through our 商売／仕事. Such 犯罪のs need to be stopped in their 跡をつけるs.

‘They are destroying small comm まとまりs like ours that （不足などを）補う the fabric of this country. And, I’m sorry to say, the banks are partly to 非難する.’

jeff.prestridge@dailymail.co.uk