Armed robbers take pity on woman

Two armed robbers showed their gentler side yesterday when they gave a woman her purse back after she told them she had been left with no money to pay for her medicine.

The police said two persons wearing crash helmets and armed with pistols held up pharmacist Eliana Aquilina at St Anne's Pharmacy, in Qaliet Street, Marsascala early in the afternoon. They stole Lm600 from the cash register.

Police sources said they also snatched a purse from a female client. But they handed it back to her after she complained that they had left her without any cash to pay for the medicine she had just bought.

The two thieves fled on a motorcycle which had been reported stolen from Birzebbuga earlier.

No one was injured but Ms Aquilina was suffering from shock, the police said.

Magistrate Antonio Mizzi appointed a team of experts to help in an inquiry.

Police investigations are being conducted by Inspector Anthony Cassar.