A WOMAN has been reminded that “community spirit” is alive and kicking, after being presented with flowers following a terrifying ordeal at the shop she works at.

Claire Hainsworth, a staff member at the McColl’s convenience store, on Otley Road, was forced to hand money and cigarettes over to two men in a robbery last Wednesday evening.

One of the men was armed with a hammer.

Footage emerged on social media platform, Snapchat, showing a number of onlookers standing by, laughing and even commentating upon the robbery, while Mrs Hainsworth was clearly in a state of shock and panic.

The bystanders and the person filming the incident were widely condemned, but one local group has come together to show that true community spirit is still around.

Communityworks, set up in 2003, presented Claire with a bouquet of flowers yesterday morning.

Mrs Hainsworth, who returned to work less than 12 hours after the robbery, said: "I was shocked when I was presented with the flowers, I had no idea that the local community had come together to get them.

"I’m aware a few people just stood by and filmed the robbery, but it’s reassuring to know that the community is not like that and that those who did nothing are in the small minority."

Communityworks has community at its heart by providing a number of services to the Otley Road and Undercliffe area of Bradford, including a children’s centre and helping adults secure their first jobs or a place at university.

It is based just around the corner from the McColl’s shop that was robbed and members saw it as their duty to respond to the lack of community cohesion shown by the nonchalant filming of the robbery.

Zaffar Kayani, of Communityworks, said: “We were really concerned that no one did something or intervened or rang the police.”

He added that people living around the area were really unhappy with not only the robbery, but also the reaction of the bystanders, taking particular offence at the choice to make a live commentary of the incident.

He said: “We’re trying to get the community together and stand against the wrong stuff. The robbery happened, we can’t stop that. But we want to stand against this kind of behaviour.”

Mrs Hainsworth added: "McColl’s plays a central role in our community and the amount of people who have contacted the store and my colleagues to send their best wishes is touching. It restores your faith in humanity."

Giving Claire the flowers was also symbolic of Mr Kayani’s wish to show how important and powerful the community can be when it comes together in a positive way and he had some advice for future witnesses of crime.

He said: “If you think it’s safe, intervene. If not, take pictures of cars, whatever it may be. We all have to be a good Samaritan when in need. We need to come together.”