BY IAN CROUCH
Police are searching for four men involved in a 4 hour crime spree across the Hunter Valley overnight.
It all started at Wingen around 8 o'clock on Tuesday night when the group driving a stolen Hyundai Tucson threatened the occupant of a home before leaving and attempting to gain access to a granny flat in the same area, with the occupant chasing 3 away while another stole keys from the flat.
The car was later found burnt out in Everleigh Court at Scone.
Police say the group were involved in aggravated break and enters at Scone and Camberwell and Singleton Heights, with three vehicles stolen.
One was involved in a pursuit at Muswellbrook and was later found partly fire damaged at Camberwell and another dumped.
It's believed the group are now driving a stolen silver Nissan X-Trail with the rego number BI 01 ST which may have been used as a getaway car in an armed hold up on the Rurtherford Hotel just before midnight.
3 men wearing hooded jumpers and surgical masks jumped the counter of the main bar and threatened a male and female employee with scissors and a knife, pulling out empty cash drawers and smashing a change tin before running off with a small amount of cash.
The two workers were not injured.
