18 August 2025 , 22:22
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A man from Manchester has confessed to attempting to rob a Greggs Bakery in Cheshire just hours after breaking into a house and stealing items such as an antique shotgun.
Vincent Foley, 43, forced his way into the office area of the bakery on Wilmslow Road and assaulted a member of staff with a hammer.
The staff member ran to his colleagues in the front and they ran out of the shop to safety.
Foley then tried to open the safe but failed and left empty-handed.
The same day he broke into a house in Meriton Road in Handforth and stole a number of watches and bracelets, a deactivated antique shotgun and a cheque book.
Foley later tried to write himself a cheque for £2,000 and £4,000, which was refused by the bank who alerted the victim.
The cheque book was found in Foley’s car when he was stopped and arrested by Greater Manchester Police after being spotted driving erratically in Rochdale on 14 July.
CCTV captured on a nearby camera shows Foley donning a balaclava as he prepared to target the bakery.
Detective Constable Ash said: “Foley was caught on camera putting his on balaclava so we got a good look at his face and were able to do an appeal to the public to identify him.
“This definitely highlights the benefits of having CCTV. It makes life much harder for criminals knowing, or in Foley’s case, not realising, there is CCTV around.”
Foley, from Bailey Lane in Manchester, pleaded guilty to burglary and theft, attempted robbery, and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
He will be sentenced next month.
Head of Investigations