Three arrests after series of raids on Wearside newsagents

One shopworker was left injured after allegedly being assaulted by two men, one of whom was wielding a hammer.

An investigation was launched following reports of a series of robberies that all occurred within a few hours yesterday, Monday, December 13, in Houghton.

Officers were first alerted to a break-in at the Bargain Booze shop in Fountains Crescent at about 4.45pm when a man was reported to have entered the shop and threatened an employee with a hammer – before stealing cash from the till.

Ten minutes later, police received a similar report of an incident at Go Local on Hazel Terrace where two men entered the shop and threatened the lone shop worker. They then stole money from the till before making off in a vehicle.

While enquiries were being carried out into those robberies, police received information about a third similar incident at the Premier Store at Thompsons Buildings.

It was reported that two men had entered the shop, one in possession of a hammer, and assaulted the shopworker before stealing cash and leaving the scene. The employee suffered minor injuries and was left shaken by the incident.

Believing all three incidents were linked, officers followed a line of enquiry and identified three men who they suspected were responsible for the series of robberies.

They tracked the suspects – aged 41, 39, and 33 - to an address in the town where they were all placed under arrest. They remain in police custody at this time as the investigation continues..

Detective Sergeant Catherine Scott, of Northumbria Police, said: “We are determined to ensure those responsible for this appalling series of robberies are brought to justice.

“On each occasion, the shop worker was threatened with violence unless they handed over money. Thankfully none of the victims were seriously injured, but this will have been a frightening ordeal and we’re committed to identifying the perpetrators and putting them before the courts.

“A full investigation was launched immediately after we became aware of these incidents, and within a matter of hours we were able to identify three suspects and track them to an address in the local area.

“All three suspects were located inside that address, and they are now in custody and will be interviewed in connection with this spate of offences.

“I would like to thank all the officers involved in these quick arrests for their hard work and dedication, as well as the victims who have been hugely supportive of the ongoing investigation.

“I hope this swift and proactive response offers reassurance to the community – this type of behaviour will not be tolerated, and we will use every tactic at our disposal to bring effective justice against those who bring misery to others.”

Anyone with information about any of the incidents is asked to contact police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of the Northumbria force website or by calling 101 quoting reference NP-20211213-0681.

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