Armed robber strikes at petrol station in Newmarket
A robber armed with a gun and a knife has got away with cash and cigarettes from a petrol station in Newmarket.
Police officers were alerted to the incident at 7.15pm yesterday, Tuesday, December 12, shortly after a suspect had walked out of the Shell petrol station in High Street, having stolen the items.
The suspect, who is believed to be male, entered wearing dark jeans, a light-coloured hooded top with the hood up, as well as a black ski mask with small eye holes.
He was holding a handgun, while he also pulled out a knife from his waistband, before putting a large, army-style, camouflaged rucksack onto the counter and telling a staff member to fill it with cash and cigarettes.
An amount of cash and cigarettes was placed into the bag before the suspect left the shop. The area was searched by officers upon arrival; however, the suspect was not located and no arrests were made.
Detective Inspector Cat Thompson said: “Detectives investigating this serious offence are exploring any forensic, CCTV and other opportunities that may be available.
“I would ask if anyone has any information, or any CCTV or dash-camera footage that could be useful to the investigation, please do get in touch.
“We understand the nature of this robbery will cause concern to residents. Additional uniform patrols have been put in place in the area and residents are welcome to approach officers to ask questions, share their concerns, or ask for crime safety advice. Equally, crime safety advice for both members of the public and businesses can be found on our website.”
Officers are appealing for anyone with any information to contact police.
Anyone that was driving along High Street or in the surrounding area between 6.45pm and 7.45pm on December 12 or anyone with CCTV or doorbell cameras in the area are asked to check footage around these times and report anything of note to police quoting crime reference 37/71656/23, via:
Website – https://www.suffolk.police.uk/tell-us
Email – brendan.mckenna@suffolk.police.uk
Phone – Call 101.
Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their online form: www.crimestoppers-uk.org