A family at De Willem on the West Coast of Demerara was the victim of an armed robbery early yesterday.

Amanda Ramsingh points to where a gunman had entered their house on Thursday night by cutting grillwork

According to reports from the police, around 2 am three armed men gained entry to Ramkumar Ramsingh's residence by cutting a grill on the eastern side of the house. Ramsingh told Stabroek News yesterday he had information that the total number of bandits was six; four came into the house and two remained outside.

Ramsingh, who had heard the noise as they were trying to cut the grill, confronted the men and asked who they were and the bandits told him they were `policemen'.

The businessman told Stabroek News that he realised it could not have been the police and began to shout "thief!" At this he said the bandits hurried up their work and one of them gained entry through the window. He opened the fridge to shed some light on the kitchen and then opened the kitchen door for the others to gain entry.

They found the man on his inner step from where he was observing them and stuck him up; they then ordered him to take them to the second floor.

They put him to sit on a chair since he has a slight disability, and the two others went into his daughters' room and began beating them and asking for money and jewellery. He said that one of his daughters gave the men a box filled with various pieces of jewellery worth over $100,000. They then got everyone in the home to lie in the hallway including the man's wife.

The man said when they asked him for money he led them down the stairs to where he kept his money in a trouser pocket and he gave them $200,000.

They fired five rounds into the air before escaping. The police arrived shortly after the event, scoured the area and set up a roadblock but their efforts were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile a Leguan milk vendor reported being robbed of a quantity of cash on the West Coast on Tuesday.

The vendor said that she was carrying on her trade at Meten-Meer-Zorg at 9:15 am when a man approached her with a knife and relieved her of her bag which contained $20,000.

The police on the West Coast are investigating.