‘He held the gun to my head and began to count off the seconds - the longest seconds of my life’

PAUL BORG

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A sub-postmaster who was held with a gun to his head by masked thieves during a terrifying raid, said today: “I am glad they’ve been caught. I thought I was going to die.”

Paul Borg (36), was alone in his tiny shop in Huddersfield Road, Diggle, when he was confronted by two men wearing motorcycle helmets. One hit him on the shoulder with the weapon before holding it to his head and threatening to shoot him if he didn’t open the safe.

At the time Paul, who has built up a thriving shop over nine years, said: “The gunman said he would shoot me in five seconds if I didn’t open the safe. He held the gun to my head and began to count off the seconds. They were the longest seconds of my life — but I didn’t have time to be scared.

“I was very angry. We are a small shop and don’t carry cash. There’s nothing to steal. The safe and premises have a load of timers and I told them nothing could be opened — so they just grabbed some coins and made off on a motorbike.”

Paul bought the post office, which also sells groceries and confectionery, with business partner Janet Waite. “I still have flashbacks,” he admitted. “But the locals have been great.”

The raid in March last year came five months after plucky Mandy Gorey, sub-postmistress at Greenfield, was held hostage at gunpoint by two masked men who escaped on a motorcycle with cash.

The 51-year-old mother of two, said she felt like a hostage.



email: kd_bennett@yahoo.co.uk