An East Canje, Berbice grocer and his wife were terrorised and robbed of over a week's earnings when two armed bandits attacked them on Wednesday night.

Narendranauth Sayrange, who owns a grocery at New Area Canefield, East Canje, told Stabroek News yesterday he and his wife Mahadai and their ten-year-old son were at home when the bandits attacked.

He said he was sitting on a bench outside his yard with his wife around 6.55 pm when two men approached and told them not to move or make any noise or they would be shot.

He said one of the men then dealt him a lash to his head with his gun as if to show that he meant business. The men then led him and his wife into the yard.

Sayrange said one of the men held his wife at gunpoint at the door while the other man took him into the shop. He said he told the bandits to take what they wanted and not to harm his family.

The man opened the cash drawer in the store and stole a week and a half's earnings, which amounted to about $70,000.

One of the men then wanted to go upstairs to the Sayranges' home, but the other insisted that they leave. They walked out of the shop as two customers entered and made their getaway.

Mrs Sayrange told this newspaper that her son, who was unaware of what was taking place downstairs in the shop, was about to go down when she shouted out to him to bolt the door and remain upstairs.

She said the men did not bother to go after her son. The family is still in a state of shock at what happened. A neighbour called the police who arrived around 7.25 pm and are still investigating the matter.

A rise in robberies in Berbice caused a recent shake-up in the police hierarchy in that area.

Many groceries and small businessmen have been attacked by bandits. (Keisha McCammon)