Terrified Post Office worker thought she was hallucinating when Ross Kemp arrived after attempted robbery
Three masked men got more than they bargained for when they tried to rob Shirley Post Office in a “terrifying” raid.
The robbers ran into the Stratford Road shop at 5.15pm on December 20 just when relief manager Maria Ahmed had opened the security door.
But she elbowed him out of the way and managed to closed herself back inside.
And then armed police turned up en masse – with EastEnders’ tough guy Ross Kemp in tow with a film crew.
Duty relief manager Miss Maria Ahmed, 20, said: “We are made of really hard stuff at Shirley Post Office and we are even harder now that we’ve met Ross Kemp.”
Miss Ahmed said two other members of staff were threatened by the men.
Two customers in their thirties were in the store at the time of the incident including a man who stood with his hands up in a corner and a woman wanting a new passport who stood still.
Ross Kemp with Maria Ahmed
The men then left without taking anything.
Miss Ahmed has worked at the Post Office in Shirley for four years since she left school at 16.
After the staff had thwarted another raid in July last year, Miss Ahmed said she now felt that no areas in the city were safe.
“The main thing is that nobody was hurt and that nothing was taken.
“But it was a terrifying experience without a doubt and something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
“Everything could have been so different the we could have had real crime scene – but we were reopening by late morning today after clearing up the shop and removing all of the police tape which had been there for forensics.”
Miss Ahmed said the men were wearing hoodies with scarf masks, tracksuits and trainers and carrying lifetime blue and green ASDA bags.
“I didn’t see the other two properly – though one was wearing a long coat to the floor.
“The man who threatened me was about 30 with fair skin, about 5ft 4in to 5ft 5in and fatter than normal.
“He was shouting so it’s difficult to tell if he was local, but he sounded like he was.
“He was telling me to f****** open the door!” but I refused and elbowed him to move him off me and slammed the door shut.
“I was shaking and my two colleagues were in the shop being threatened so that I would open the door.
“They wanted me to open it and I was screaming ‘No, no, no!’
“I thought they were just amateurs on what looked like a last-minute job.”
Although Miss Ahmed and her staff did not see any weapons, she said someone else must have called the police to say it was an armed robbery.
“The ordinary police were here within four minutes but said they were waiting for armed back-up before going in.
“When the armed police came there were loads of them.
“And then I saw Ross Kemp!
“I thought ‘something must be happening... am I hallucinating?’.
“But then I realised it really was Ross Kemp and thought ‘Oh, my God!’
“He just came in unarmed, so he’s got balls.
“I used to watch him with my dad years ago when he was playing Grant Mitchell in EastEnders."
Asked how she felt about continuing to work in a Post Office, Miss Ahmed said: “You have to work in a job that you love and the people around here are very nice, especially the older generation.
“You can’t be frightened, but there is a fear (that someone might come in).
“You can’t let (people like this) give you a bad day.
“There were so many police outside and they were really good with us – but I felt better when I saw Ross.”
Police have not yet replied to requests for details about the raid.