Robbers burst into the office of a Croydon nightclub and stabbed the manager in the back, despite the area being surrounded by police.

A cordon had been put up outside Bamboo Nightclub, High Street, in the early hours of Sunday, April 20, following an earlier car crash when a pedestrian had been hurt.

While police were investigating the accident, two robbers, wearing balaclavas crept into the back of the nightclub and attacked the manager and assistant manager who were locking up.

They told the victims to get on the floor, punched them and tied the manager's hands behind his back. During the struggle the manager was stabbed in the back.

The suspects demanded money from the safe and made the assistant manager lock his boss in the office. It is believed a gun was pressed against the assistant manager's head, who was then forced to unlock the fire exit so the suspects could escape through the side alley. The victims managed to attract the attention of the police who released them and managed to recover the stolen money in the alley behind Bamboo.

A police spokesman said: "The suspects would not have crossed the police cordon. As I understand it the cordon would have been at the front of the bar dealing with the accident, the officers would have been oblivious to the suspects going in the back until they were alerted to the incident."

The manager, a man in his 30s, was taken to hospital with knife wounds and cuts and bruising to his forehead and body. The assistant manager received bruising to his head.

A man has also been arrested in connection with the car accident and released on bail.

Anyone with information should call DC Sean Oxley on 020 8768 1212.

April 30, 2003 12:00