Arrests made following armed robbery in Hadfield

Two men have been arrested following an armed robbery at a Tesco Express store in Hadfield, which sparked a dramatic police pursuit across Greater Manchester. 

Derbyshire Constabulary confirmed that the incident took place at the Station Road store at around 7.15pm on Thursday 29 January. Three men entered the shop, two of whom were armed with knives, and stole a substantial quantity of cash and tobacco before fleeing the scene. Thankfully, no members of staff or customers were physically harmed. 

A police spokesperson said: “Two men have been arrested on suspicion of armed robbery after an incident at a shop in Hadfield. The three men left the scene in a dark grey Audi A4 estate with a registration beginning GP57.” 

The vehicle was later spotted by officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in Wythenshawe. After a high-speed pursuit involving several unmarked police cars, a helicopter and police dogs, two suspects were arrested in Brownley Road. 

GMP have since released footage of the chase, which saw the Audi reach speeds of more than 80mph in a 30mph zone as it travelled through residential streets. The car was eventually abandoned on tram tracks at Benchill tram stop, temporarily halting Metrolink services in the area. 

Two men - one in his 30s and one in his 40s - were detained on suspicion of robbery, dangerous driving and possession of an offensive weapon. Both have since been recalled to prison and remain in police custody. 

Sergeant Bobby Nasim from GMP’s Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit said:  

"As soon as we were made aware of the incident in Derbyshire and the route that the Audi was making, we had a fair amount of information available to us that it would be returning to Greater Manchester. 

"The team worked together and deployed to strategic locations, trying to second guess based on experience and local knowledge where the vehicle may enter our patch, as soon as it did and we got the confirmation it was in Wythenshawe, we struck. 

“The driver of the vehicle showed complete disregard for other road users while he was trying to make off from our officers, we’re very lucky that we aren’t dealing with a serious road traffic collision due to his actions. 

“We take incidents such as these incredibly serious, and we will relentlessly tackle anyone that feels like they are above the law." 

The third man involved in the robbery remains outstanding, and detectives from Derbyshire Constabulary are continuing their investigation. Officers are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen the grey Audi travelling between Hadfield and Wythenshawe, particularly drivers with dashcam footage showing the vehicle being driven erratically. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact Derbyshire Police, quoting reference 26000057278. Reports can be made via the Derbyshire Constabulary Facebook page or by calling 101. 

The incident comes just over a week after a separate break-in at the Tesco store in Glossop on 22 January, during which a significant amount of cash was also stolen. Police have not confirmed whether the two incidents are linked.