A STOURBRIDGE publican’s outrage about a “sickening” robbery has sparked a rallying cry to support charity lifesavers.

Outraged Mike Cartwright from The Mitre in Lower High Street pledged £250 to help replace cash taken in a raid at the Brierley Hill offices of Midlands Air Ambulance (MAA) on Tuesday (June 21).

Mike, aged 52, is urging people and businesses to join him in swelling the charity’s coffers while police hunt armed crooks who took thousands of pounds and held 20 staff hostage for 30 minutes.

He said: “When I read about this it was sickening, people have to work hard to get that money together, the people who did this are scum.

“The air ambulance is vital, they provide a service nobody else does, £250 is a start.

“This could not have come at a worse time for the charity, people are short of money but we need to help, tomorrow it could be you or your son or daughter and without money they can’t fly.”

Raiders struck at MAA offices on the Enterprise Trading Estate off Pedmore Road at around 8.45am when three men armed with a Taser stun gun threatened staff and took their phones.

The men, who are described as black and in their 20s, made off in a member of staff's car, a grey Peugeot 308, which was later recovered in the Dudley area.

The office was unusually busy with fundraisers attending meetings and staff have been offered counselling after their ordeal.

MAA director, Hanna Sebright, said: “I find it hard to comprehend that people would commit such a violent crime, these people are morally corrupt. This could actually cost people’s lives.

“We get fantastic support from the community and the people around us and it was their money that was taken, right now we need people to pull together.”

Acting detective sergeant Chris Woodward, from West Midlands Police, said: “Pedmore Road would have been busy at around 9am and so people making their way to work, or on the school run, may well have seen the offenders arriving at the scene or making their getaway in the stolen grey Peugeot.

“We want to speak to anyone who was in the area and may have witnessed part of this despicable crime.”

Anyone with information should call the force CID Sandwell and Dudley team at Harborne Police Station on 0345 113 5000 or speak to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

For more information on making a donation to Midlands Air Ambulance visit www.midlandsairambulance.com or call 0800 8402040.