A Sunday night drinking session dissolved in terror as men armed with guns descended on a liquor restaurant in Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara beating and robbing patrons of over $1 million in cash, jewellery and other valuables before escaping.

The attack occurred at a bar owned by Narine called 'Banice',47, at 35 Main Street, Windsor Forest and lasted about 15 minutes. The gang of men made off with $48,000 which was the day's takings, while patrons were relieved of cash, a quantity of jewellery and a number of cell phones. There were reports of a man being arrested in connection with the robbery yesterday but the police have refuted this.

A bruised Narine told Stabroek News yesterday that the men invaded the bar around 8.45 pm brandishing guns and ordering everyone to lie on the floor. The patrons thought it was a hoax until the robbers lashed one of the men and ripped off his gold chain. Realizing that it was for real, the other customers quickly complied and the robbers kicked at them while demanding money.

The robbers then proceeded to relieve the men of their cash, jewellery and phones while also taking other items from the bar including a DVD player.

They kept demanding more money and one of them threatened to shoot Narine. They ordered him to open a "chest" but he told them he didn't know of any "chest". They then ordered him to take them upstairs but he told them only his grandmother was there and she didn't have anything.

Three of the men, said to be in their twenties, were armed with handguns; two of them wore masks. The fourth man, who stood outside guarding the entrance, was said to be unarmed.

A patron attempting to enter the bar at the time the robbery was in progress was told that the bar was already closed and was warned not to go inside by the gunman guarding the door.

Once satisfied that they had all they could get, the robbers then relieved a taxi driver of the keys to his car and made good their escape heading in an easterly direction. Another taxi driver who was present jumped through the window and followed the men until they abandoned the hijacked vehicle in Crane Village where the police later retrieved it.

The bar was not open yesterday and Narine who remains fearful said he wasn't sure when it would reopen. He is of the opinion that it was the same gang that had robbed a business place in Harlem earlier this month.

A number of men who were in the bar when the attack occurred were reluctant to speak. Neighbours expressed fear at the attack with some saying that the place wasn't safe anymore. A number of attacks have occurred in the area lately with a robbery in the same village last month and more recently robberies at Harlem and Ruby