Sunderland store robbed by hammer-wielding men who threaten staff before snatching cash and goods

Northumbria Police was called at 1.35pm yesterday, Tuesday, November 17, to reports of an ongoing robbery at Newcastle Road Convenience Store in Monkwearmouth.

Two men entered armed with hammers and threatened a woman working in the shop while a third waited outside.

They stole cash and other items before all running off into the nearby housing estate.

Nobody was injured but the woman was left shaken by the incident and was taken to hospital as a precaution.

In the wake of the incident the shop has said it will close until Saturday, November 21, at 8am.

Its owners have said they will put perishable stock in a basket outside so that those in need can benefit from it, rather than being binned.

The community has since rallied round to help the store’s owners in the aftermath of their ordeal, with a GoFundMe page set up to help them replace stolen stock.

Detective Constable Kelly Scott, of Northumbria Police, said: “This was an appalling incident that saw three shameless offenders rob a popular convenience store in the middle of the day.

“They showed a total disregard for the welfare of staff and families who rely on the store during these difficult times.

"Thankfully, the staff member was uninjured but was taken to hospital as a precaution.

“We are now using every tactic at our disposal to locate the men responsible.

"They were all wearing masks and gloves at the time of the offence with one wearing an orange high-vis jacket and dark bottoms, and the other two in yellow high-vis jackets.

“After committing the offence, it is believed they then turned left out of the shop towards Crozier Street.

“We are now asking anybody who saw anything suspicious or who believes they know the identity of the perpetrators to come forward. Your information, no matter how insignificant you feel it may be, could prove the key to ensuring those responsible are brought to justice.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact us via the Tell Us Something page of its website or by calling 101 quoting log 467 171120.

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