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Couple tell of fear at hands of gunmen

May 24 2009 by Coreena Ford and Lisa Hutchinson

Kulen, 51, who was away in Scotland at the time, learned of the robbery when his wife called.

He said: “I drove back straight away, very worried.

“We have CCTV in here and police have taken the disc away so hopefully we caught them on camera.”

The couple moved up to Dipton, near Consett, five years ago from Hertfordshire where they used to run a petrol station.

Kulen said: “We loved the countryside and the fact it is so quiet up here.

“Nothing like this has ever happened here before.”

“Lots of people have been coming into the shop asking what happened and some have been very concerned and shocked.”

The member of staff who faced the robbers was too shocked to work yesterday, but Mr and Mrs Kulenthiran planned to visit her last night.

Savithri said: “She has worked here for three years and I’m worried about how she is coping. I hope she will come back to work here but only in her own time.”

Durham police described the man who approached the shop assistant as being a white male with a tanned complexion in his 20s, wearing a green camouflage jacket, of stocky build. He was around 5ft 6ins tall.

The other man was slightly taller and both had a Geordie accent. Two men had been seen acting suspiciously in nearby Ewehurst Crescents just before the robbery.

Anyone with information should call Consett CID on 0345 60 60 365.

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