TWO betting offices were raided by masked gunmen in under two hours.
The robberies at the bookies in Lockwood and Birkby bear similarities. Detectives are looking at possible links between the two.
Police are not naming the bookmakers.
The first was at Swan Lane in Lockwood at 11.40am yesterday, when two masked men walked into the office and one threatened terrified staff with a gun.
They demanded the till be opened and grabbed cash from it.
The gunman was described as African-Caribbean, in his early 20s, 5ft 8ins and slim.
He wore a black ski mask or balaclava and a black jacket.
His accomplice, who has a bigger build, also wore a black ski mask or balaclava.
As detectives were probing this raid, another robbery was reported at a second Huddersfield betting office.
Two gunmen burst into the bookmakers at St John’s Road in Birkby at 1.30pm and again threatened staff with their weapons before stealing cash from the till.
One of the raiders also ordered staff to open the gaming machine and stole money from there too.
Here the first gunman was described as African-Caribbean, around 5ft 7ins and slim.
He wore a beige fleece hooded top and a black balaclava. It is thought he is in his mid-teens.
The second gunman is smaller than the other, but with a stocky upper body.
He wore a dark navy hooded top and a stocking mask over his face. He also wore dark navy blue Adidas bottoms with three stripes down the legs.
Det Con Russ Conlon, of Kirklees CID intelligence unit, said: “The raids do have similarities and we are looking at possible links between them.
“Did anyone see the robbers hanging around outside either of these bookmakers in the run-up to the robbery or escaping afterwards?
“Did they get into a car or flee on foot?’’
Contact Kirklees CID on 0845 6060606.
