 The attack happened at a shop on Arnold's main street |
A female shopkeeper who was shot dead on Tuesday during an armed robbery was described by a friend as "someone who stood her ground". Marian Bates, 64, of Ravenshead, Nottinghamshire, was shot in the chest and died at the scene after she tried to fight off the robbers.
A police spokeswoman said Mrs Bates was attacked at the family-run Time Centre jewellers in Arnold along with her husband Vic and her daughter Xanthe.
The two robbers arrived at the shop on a motorbike.
'Disgraceful event'
They fled the scene, but the motorbike was recovered half a mile away with its engine still running.
The bike had been stolen from Kimberley a month ago.
Nottinghamshire Police said a murder investigation is under way after the shooting incident, which was reported at the Time Centre jewellers on Front Street in Arnold at just before 1300 BST.
Nottinghamshire Police spokesman Peter Ditchett said: " I want the information about these gun-carrying criminals and I want to know who is responsible for this."
"My deepest sympathy goes to the family for today's disgraceful events, it is one of the few times in my career with the police that has provoked such a sense of outrage.
 | FAMILY BUSINESS  They weren't the sort who would just hand something over  Brian Walker
Family friend |
"If this sounds like an emotional response, then I make no apology for that. Because it is an emotional response.
"I want to put people like this away, to get people like this out of our lives. I am sick of it."
One of the robbers was described as a white male, 5 ft 4 in tall, in his late teens or early 20s, of medium build and wearing a dark coat, crash helmet and black gloves.
The second man was 6 ft tall, in his late teens or early 20s, of scrawny build and wearing a helmet, dark jeans, trainers and carrying a crowbar.
Brian Walker, 75, of Arnold, who has known the couple for the past 30 years, said: "Marian was a lovely woman and she was always someone who would stand her ground and we think that is what might have happened.
"Their daughter Xanthe was exactly the same. They weren't the sort who would just hand something over if someone came into the shop."
Mr Walker said the couple have a second daughter who lives in Cheshire and that Xante is married with two children.
He said the shop had twice suffered attacks before, once in the last year when a thief tried to smash a window with an iron bar, and on a previous occasion when an item was stolen from inside the shop.
One-Minute World News 
News services
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
