Bohemia Village Voice

Dorothy Wood - pushed over

Two men attempted to rob Wood’s Newsagents in Bohemia Road on Friday 18th April at about 5.15 pm.
Dorothy Wood first saw the men standing at the corner of Bohemia Road and Newgate Road, opposite her shop. She said, “They kept looking up and down the road, and I thought they were waiting for a lift.” With hindsight, she realised they had seen her son, Keith Wood, who works with Dorothy, leave the shop, and had been watching to make sure the shop was empty of customers.
“They came over, and one stood by the door while the other walked across to the counter and came right behind it,” continued Dorothy. “I said, ‘Go round to the other side please. This is the staff side.’ He said, ‘I’m going to take your till.’ I said, ‘You’re not!’”
Brave Dorothy, 80, then put her arm across the till to stop him. He pushed her over backwards and she fell on the floor. She suffered a bruised shoulder, but fortunately did not need medical attention. The man took the till and was going towards the door of the shop when two regular customers, a man and a woman, came in. One of them said, “Have you got trouble with the till, Dorothy?” She replied, “No, they’re trying the take it!” The customer said, “No you don’t!” to the thief, who dropped the till and ran. Both men were pursued across Bohemia Road by the customers, who saw them get into an old, dirty, small white car parked in Newgate Road and turn left into Clarence Road.