A MAN had �200 robbed from him as he withdrew money at a cashpoint at a busy Royston supermarket.

The 56-year-old, who didn’t want to be named, had already entered his pin number into the machine at Tesco on Old North Road before he was distracted by two men who made off with the cash, last Friday at 8pm.

To make matters worse for the victim, the store’s CCTV cameras, which point directly onto the machines, were not working.

The Royston resident said: “I had entered my pin number and was approached by a man who began jostling me and waving a newspaper in my face, asking me to buy it.

“Another man then came in and pressed the �200 button as I was being distracted, then they both ran off with the cash.

“I chased them for a bit, but they seemed violent. One of them turned and threw �10 at me, saying that was all they took.

“It wasn’t until I got home and phoned my bank that I realised how much they had taken.”

The victim is not covered by insurance for the money, which he says he “really couldn’t afford to lose.”

“I feel a bit of a fool for losing this and for being conned, but at 8pm on a Friday night in Royston I wasn’t expecting this thing to happen to me,” he said.

The police were called after the incident and the man went to the security room with a witness to give a statement. It was then they realised the CCTV was not working.

“When the police asked to see the footage they said the camera wasn’t working. This is a disgrace,” said the man, who has written a letter of complaint.

“The camera points right at the machines and would have definitely got a good shot of the men, especially as it’s well lit.

“They would have had a great chance of tracking them down, especially if they are known criminals who have done this sort of thing before.”

Tescos said they were experiencing a “temporary fault” with the camera, and that they were assisting police with their enquiries.

Hertfordshire police are looking for two light-skinned Asian men between the ages of 20 and 25 with brown, collar length hair.

One was around 6ft, wearing a black leather jacket and black trousers, while the other was around 5ft 5, dressed in a dark jacket and trousers.

Investigating officer, PC William Cox, said: “I am appealing for anyone who may have been in the area at the time of the incident to get in touch. Do you recognise the men described or did you see anyone running way from the area?”

Anyone one with information is asked to contact PC Cox on the non-emergency number 0845 33 00 222 citing crime reference number G4/11/64.