POLICE today issued the description of two men they want to contact following a vicious armed raid on a couple in Beverley.

Officers with Humberside Police say they are keen to establish the identity of these two men spotted near the scene of the robbery last Saturday, February 7.

During the robbery, in the Routh Avenue area of Beverley, the 55-year-old male and 50-year-old female occupants were threatened with a sawn-off shotgun and tied up in their own home.

The man was struck in the face with the shotgun and the woman had an electric iron placed on her skin, which had been switched on in an attempt to frighten her into revealing the location of valuables in the house.

Money was stolen as well as Superking and Benson and Hedges cigarettes in cartons of 200 and Samson and Old Holborn tobacco.

The men police want to trace were seen in the Routh Avenue area at 9pm on the evening of the robbery. One was white, aged 27 to 28 years old, 5ft 10ins tall, medium build, with long, brown hair in a ponytail, wearing a three-quarter length dark coat and a stud in his eyebrow. The second man, also white, was shorter than the first with light brown hair. They were both carrying bags.

Det Insp Ray Higgins, of Humberside Police, said: "Because of the vicious nature of the offence it may be that associates of the offenders may provide information.

"The force used against the vulnerable complainants was greatly in excess of what was needed to achieve the purpose."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Beverley police on (01482) 597900.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.