Villagers tell of wild chase after bungling raiders

In scenes straight out of a slapstick comedy, a postmaster, his wife, the local electrician and school-run mums, pursued the bandits through sleepy Ditchling, wailing: "Stop them, stop them."

Police praised the have-a-go heros after hearing how villagers blocked roads, wrestled with the bandits and eventually surrounded them while they waited for officers to arrive.

The postmaster even refused to give the robbers his £20 notes insisting: "You're not having those, I've worked hard for them."

When one of the thugs tried to bully sub-postmistress Daphne Perkis into action by pushing her, she simply responded - by pushing him back.

The drama unfolded when the hapless duo burst into the store on Tuesday at 3.15pm, their faces covered in bandannas, forcing customers to the floor.

Sub postmaster David Holmes, 47, told how the masked thieves rushed into the shop while his wife Clare (CORR) and children Katie, 7, and James, 4 stood watching.

He immediately activated a silent alarm, which automatically called the police and locked up safes as Daphne Perkis, a sub postmistress in her fifties, shoved and kicked the crooks.

He said: "They were shouting 'we want the money! We know you've got money!' and threatening us more or less as soon as they burst through the door.

"Then they tried pushing Daphne and she just pushed them back.

"My wife and children had just come in from school and one of them shouted at her to get on the floor - that was terrifying. My little girl went into the toilet and locked herself in.

"The other man started pulling the drawers out but Daphne was still shoving him. He became more threatening towards her so I opened the till up.

"He grabbed some fives and tens but I wouldn't let him have the 20s - we worked too hard for them - so I shoved them in my pockets."

The thieves then ran from the store with a haul of £170 to their silver Ford Mondeo parked outside The Bull pub, chased by Mr Holmes and his wife.

Electrician James Baker, 32, was working in the flat above the shop when he heard it was being robbed.

He said: "The first thing you think is are they armed? I was calling the police when they ran past me. Then I saw Clare. She was like a headless banshee, screaming up the road shouting 'stop them!' "Dave was furiously trying to stop their car, ripping off their wing mirror and trying to smash the window with it.

"Clare then grabbed a woman in a 4x4, driving her children home from school I think, and got her to block them in.

"They must have panicked and just wheel span into the wall opposite. They got out, dropping the bag of money, and I just run at one of them."

A small army of villagers then joined in, chasing the crooks down West Street and into Keymer Road near Hassocks, where they finally apprehended them before police arrived.

John Ferdinando, 58, of South Street, Ditchling, said he was in his kitchen preparing food for a Christmas party when he saw the drama unfolding.

He said: "I was looking out of the window and I saw several kids rushing out - all wrapped up in hats and scarves. The postmistress was chasing after them shouting 'Stop! Thief!'.

"The whole thing was like Keystone Kops with Buster Keaton. It was the bungled burglary of the century.

"I think there was about ten villagers chasing at one point, everyone joined in.

"A lot of people in the village are very protective about their post office and were horrified to see people try and rob it.

"Things like that just don't happen in a place like this."

Two men were arrested on suspicion of robbery and taken to Eastbourne police station.

Police are keen to trace a third man who they believe may have been involved, driving a white Ford Escort van.

Police are appealing for anyone who may have seen the suspects prior to, or at the time of the incident, or anyone who has knowledge or sightings of either vehicle to call 0845 6070999.

* A 17-year-old male, who has not been named, and 19-year-old Ishmael Mansaray, from the South London area, were tonight charged with robbery. Mansary was also charged with robbery, theft of a motor vehicle, having no motor insurance and failing to stop at the scene of an accident. Both teenagers will appear at Lewes Magistrates' Court in the morning.