Bookie robbed of Festival cash

A leading bookmaker was robbed of tens of thousands of pounds by a masked gang as he left the Cheltenham Festival, it emerged today.

Freddie Williams was travelling from the racecourse to his hotel when his Jaguar was forced to stop on a country road.

The robbers used crowbars to smash the car’s windows before making off with the money after the raid, which happened at around 6.30pm last night.

Mr Williams, 63, and two passengers in the car were left “very traumatised” as a result.

The Jaguar was brought to a halt by a Vauxhall Cavalier and a Land Rover just off the A429 between Northleach and Bibury in the Cotswolds. Both vehicles were later found burnt out nearby.

Chief Inspector David Peake, of Gloucestershire Police, said the incident was “very serious”.

Mr Peake said: “The Jaguar motor car contained three people, one female and two males, who were returning to their hotel after a day at the Cheltenham races.

“Police were informed that an unknown number of individuals wearing balaclavas – believed to be more than one and possibly three – had smashed the Jaguar’s windows with crowbars and had stolen a substantial amount of money from the occupants of the Jaguar vehicle.

“It is believed the offenders initially made off from the scene in the Vauxhall Cavalier and the Land Rover vehicles. However, these vehicles have been found by police close to the scene of the crime and had been set on fire.

“The occupants of the Jaguar motor car sustained minor cuts as a result of flying glass and were very traumatised as a result of this serious incident.”

None of the victims required hospital treatment for their injuries, Mr Peake said.