Betting shop robber dies on the job

The spate of armed robbery attempts on High Street betting shops in the UK took a tragic twist Friday evening when a would-be robber armed with a handgun and wearing a gasmask to disguise his identity died during an attempt to rob a Plymouth bookie shop.

Police have not disclosed the robber’s identity as his next of kin have yet to be informed, but it appears that punters in the betting shop tackled and disarmed him immediately, holding him down until police arrived.

By that time the man was unconscious, and shortly thereafter he died from causes at present unknown.

A gasmask is a strange mode of disguise, because it is so overt, restricts vision to some extent and makes for uncomfortable breathing during exertion and over time.

A police spokesman said that when the man entered the shop, he was “immediately tackled” by customers and “held down still wearing his gas mask”.

When officers arrived, they attempted to resuscitate the man until paramedics arrived but he was declared dead about 20 minutes later.

A full investigation is currently underway.