Thieves target convenience store in armed raid (From York Press)

Thieves target convenience store in armed raid

11:00am Thursday 28th December 2006 in News By Helen Gabriel

JUST three weeks ago - and only three doors down the street - a subpostmaster was brutally robbed in a raid which shocked York.

Now residents and traders are coming to terms with another robbery in Walmgate - this time by men armed with a handgun, who demanded cash from terrified assistants at a convenience store.

Detectives are investigating after the two men, one holding a handgun, walked into the One Stop shop as the two women closed the shop for the night, at about 8pm on Boxing Day, and ordered them to hand over money.

A police spokesman said the two men came in through the back door. "One had a handgun and the men demanded money. They took cash and they escaped," he said.

"The two women were very shaken by their experience, but not injured."

He said the man with the gun had blond, unkempt hair and was wearing dark, round glasses. The other was wearing a balaclava.

York CID are appealing for information from anyone who saw anything suspicious between 7pm and 9pm in Walmgate or Margaret Street, which runs along the back of the shop.

Officers believe occupants of the flats, which overlook the back of the shop, may have seen one or both of the robbers.

The police spokesman said: "It is important that witnesses get in touch as soon as possible. Armed robbery is a rarity in the county so it is all the more frightening when it does happen."

Councillor Janet Looker, who chairs the Walmgate and Navigation Road Crime Action Group, said she was shocked that another serious incident had happened so close to the last one.

She said: "I'm rather shocked by this and I certainly hope it isn't part of a trend.

"We had recently been priding ourselves on the fact that there had been a drop in serious crime in the area. At our last meeting, just after the Walmgate post office robbery, it was flagged up as being something quite out of the ordinary.

"But what does worry residents is that it is a place where drinkers congregate and hang around and this will just be an extra problem for us."

She said the group had promised that there would be more police in the area from January when neighbourhood policing is re-organised.

She urged people working in the area to be vigilant, particularly at night.

She said: "We have also discussed staff safety for people who work in the shops and offices along Walmgate and what people should do to make sure they are safe going home.

"Particularly with the darker evenings, we would advise people to get a taxi."

Pauline Mortimer, manager of Acaster Carpets, Flooring and Beds, next door to the One Stop shop, said there was a need for a stronger police presence in the area.

She said: "It's terrible, especially after what happened to Brian Fletcher in the Walmgate post office raid.

"The people round here are generally very nice, but you get this kind of thing everywhere - it does not matter where you are.

"I think we need more of a police presence here, definitely."

Ms Mortimer has been in the store since July, and said she had been surprised by the extent of trouble in the area. She said there had been instances of people coming into her shop with cans of booze, and being abusive.

Police have now stepped up patrols in the area to reassure frightened residents, as community leaders and traders spoke of their fears about the sudden surge in violent crime.

Sergeant Martin Metcalfe, of the area's neighbourhood policing team, said there would be extra police patrols in the area, particularly at night, in the coming days to reassure members of the public.

The two robbed women have declined to comment, but a colleague said: "It was terrifying for them - just two girls alone in the shop."

A spokeswoman for Tesco, which owns the One Stop shop, said: "This was a very distressing experience for the two members of staff caught up in this robbery. Neither of the women were physically hurt, but were badly shaken up by their experience."

A spokesman did not rule out re-instating a full-time security guard like the One Stop shop used to have, saying: "It is something that will be kept under review.

"We keep security under review at all our stores and if there are incidents we thoroughly investigate them with the police, and that governs our thinking on security staff.

"If a security guard is something we need at a particular store then we won't hesitate to put one in place."

* Anyone with information should phone York CID on 0845 60 60 247.

Second street robbery in three weeks

THE One Stop shop raid was the second robbery to hit the small row of shops in Walmgate in just three weeks. It happened only yards from where robbers attacked an elderly sub-postmaster at Walmgate Bar Post Office on Tuesday, December 5.

Brian Fletcher - a community hero known for offering courteous help to everyone who visits his post office - suffered facial injuries during the raid, which happened between 5pm and 6pm, just as he was shutting up for the day.

The Press offered a £1,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the attackers.

It was boosted by almost £2,000 in pledges from businesses and individuals across York - including £50 from the One Stop Shop.

The Post Office offered an additional reward of up to £5,000, bringing the amount on the robbers' heads to almost £8,000.

The robbers forced Mr Fletcher into the premises, where one pushed him to the floor and tried to gouge his face and eyes, while the other stole a substantial amount of cash in notes.

Police said today that five people arrested in connection with that robbery earlier this month remained on police bail, pending further enquiries.