POLICE say there is "no clear-cut reason" for a spate of armed robberies in York.

The Press told last week how there had been eight robberies and attempted robberies involving weapons in just five weeks.

Detective Inspector Nigel Costello, of York CID, said: "I don't think is anything strikingly different which could be the reason for it. There has been no change in the price or the availability of drugs.

"These offences tend to happen when people need money and they need it quickly and think where is the best place to get some in York?' "Most of the places which have been robbed won't have had a great deal of money - only what was in the till.

"I can't put my finger on one particular thing that has gone wrong all of a sudden, but the positive thing from our point of view is that we have arrested people and are working as hard as we can to prove or disprove any involvement they may have had in these cases."

A local man was arrested by police in York on Thursday in connection with a robbery at the Stop Gap shop in Gale Lane, Acomb, on June 30. He has been released on police bail pending further inquiries.

The Press printed images from the shop's CCTV footage at the time of the incident.

Another local man has been arrested in connection with a robbery at Choice video store in Acomb, in which cash was stolen on June 21. That man has also been released on police bail pending further inquiries.

Two people also have been arrested after an armed robbery at Blockbuster Video Express in Hull Road last Monday.

A 32-year-old local man and a 28-year-old local woman have both been bailed by police.

Police are still hunting a man who wrestled the manager of McColls newsagents in Hamilton Drive West, Acomb, to the floor on Monday June 25 and a man who walked into the Bella Italia restaurant in Low Petergate brandishing a large knife and forced a lone female member of staff to hand over a "considerable" amount of money on Sunday, June 17.