Balaclava-clad men 'armed with BB gun and bat' hold up antiques sale: Police hunting trio

Published: 22:20, 27 May 2026 | Updated: 22:21, 27 May 2026 A group of balaclava-clad men allegedly attempted to rob an antiques sale armed with a BB gun and a baseball bat. The botched heist took place at the Masonic Hall in Swinton, Greater Manchester, where a jewellery and antiques event was set to be held throughout the day. Three men reportedly entered the building at around 11.30am with one of the men, holding what appeared to be a gun, yelling 'don't move' to customers and staff.  The hall was then temporarily locked down as armed police rushed to the scene. However, despite one member of the public bravely jostling with one of the suspects, and managing to remove his weapon, all three of the attempted robbers managed to escape.  Greater Manchester Police has since confirmed that the weapon was a BB gun while one member of the public sustained minor injuries. The force have launched an investigation urging anyone with information to come forward. The event was reportedly organised by webuyvintage.co.uk where members of the public can meet with experts who will give them a free, honest valuation of what their vintage items and collectibles are worth. They boast that the average customer walks away with over £700.   The botched heist took place at the Masonic Hall in Swinton, Greater Manchester, (pictured) where a jewellery and antiques event was set to be held throughout the day A BB gun (file image). Three men reportedly entered the building at around 11.30am with one of the men, holding what appeared to be a gun, yelling 'don't move'. Greater Manchester Police later confirmed the weapon was a BB gun Witnesses to the bizarre incident have spoken of how the suspects burst into the hall 'demanding goods' leaving 'children' and 'old ladies' in tears. One witness told the Manchester Evening News: 'Three lads ran in one with a gun, one with a baseball bat, and then one who waited in the hallway. The guy with the gun shouted "don't anyone move".' The witness, who wished not to be named, recalled one man who was 'buying gold and silver' at the roadshow grabbed the man with a BB gun before the man with a baseball bat hit him on the head. 'Then I ran at them, picked up a chair and threw it at the lad. Then they ran out,' they continued. Detective Inspector Paul Davies, from GMP's Salford district, said: 'This was a terrifying incident for those in attendance at the hall, and I want to commend the members of the public who acted incredibly bravely during this incident. 'We could easily have had more serious consequences, and I am glad that no one was seriously injured. 'While only several hours have passed since this incident, we have launched a thorough investigation to establish the full circumstances, and I would urge anyone who has any information to please get in touch.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.