Robbers thwarted by 79-year-old

The 79-year-old owner of a Valletta jewellery shop was injured as he thwarted three robbers who stormed into his shop yesterday morning.

The incident happened at 7.45 a.m. as Valletta resident Frank Zampa was inside his shop preparing to open for business. His children, who run the jewellers with their father, had not yet arrived.

Police sources said three robbers – one armed with a pistol, another with a taser gun while the third had an iron rod – entered the shop in St Lucy Street, Valletta. Wearing baseball caps and sunglasses, they pointed the guns at the man and demanded cash and jewellery.

When he resisted the man holding the pistol, one of the robbers struck Mr Zampa on the head with the iron rod. Yet, he still managed to hold on to the robber’s weapon but only after a shot had been fired, which narrowly missed him.

The robbers then fled the scene. They ran out of the shop and down towards St Paul Street and Victoria Gate. The police do not know whether they fled Valletta or remained in the capital.

Mr Zampa was taken to hospital by ambulance. Family members on the scene of the attempted hold-up said he had not sustained serious injury.

Sources said police were not ruling out that the robbers could have been foreign since they were not completely understood when they made their demands.

Investigators on the scene were seen entering various shops in the vicinity requesting CCTV footage. A globe CCTV camera at the corner of Merchants Street with Santa Lucia Street was also analysed though the quality of the images was poor.

The sources said Santa Lucia Street, known for its jewellers, should be better protected with more CCTV cameras.