"We are not convinced entirely at this point that we are talking about a robbery or an attempted robbery, " said national police chief Yohanan Danino.

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The concerns over Barbados as a travel destination come about a week after a couple from Suffolk were shot in the island's capital Bridgetown during a robbery.

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South Africa has a high crime rate, with visitors warned about robbery and carjackings.

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However, John Suffield, whose son John was killed in 1981 during a robbery in a Liverpool betting shop, accepted prison must be about rehabilitating offenders.

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The robbery took place at about 09:40 BST and police said the raider got into a red vehicle.

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Though the disputes--most commonly customers arguing with collectors about change-- occur about once a week, Olga Krueger, the supervisor of bridge operations, says she hasn't seen a robbery during her six-year tenure.

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