New store burgled and robbed in 24 hours

Last Sunday night staff were held up by robbers at the Co-op store in Maw Lane – which has been open just three weeks.

Three robbers wearing balaclavas jumped over the counter, threatened the staff with a weapon and broke into the till with a metal bar before making off with cash.

And the day before, the store was broken into by thieves who escaped with bags full of cigarettes.

The deputy manager at the shop said: “On Saturday night they smashed their way into the area where the cigarettes were behind the counter and took a lot of packets of cigarettes.

“Then on Sunday night at about 9pm the staff were held up. I don’t know what they held them up with, but a weapon of some sort.

“I was off at the weekend so it wasn’t until I came back on Monday and saw the shop in a mess.”

The deputy manager, who asked not to be named, said the staff were shaken up.

“The staff are a bit shook up. They’ve come back to work but they’re nervous to be back here to be honest.”

She went on to say it was ‘upsetting’ when they had not been open long, and changes had been implemented to make the store more secure.

“We’ve not even traded a month yet and we’ve already been targeted twice.

“It’s very upsetting really. We’ve worked hard to get the shop looking as good as it is.

“It’s not good, and it’s certainly not nice for the staff.

“We’re making sure we have a lot of staff on at night now and we have also employed a security guard who works at night.

“We’ve got a camera and panic buttons already installed so we can try and prevent it happening, but if they are going to do it, they are going to do it,” she said.

The burglary happened some time between 10pm last Saturday and 6am Sunday morning and the robbery happened at 9.30pm Sunday.

Three members of staff were in the store at the time of the robbery but were not injured. The suspects were described as white and were wearing black clothing. They escaped on foot.

Police are not linking the two incidents, but they are linking the robbery with a similar raid in Old Basford.

A convenience store was robbed in Arnold Road at 9.44pm, also on Sunday.

Officers are looking at CCTV of the robberies and enquiries are ongoing.

Anyone who witnessed the incidents or has any information is urged to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101.