POLICE are linking an armed robbery of the a Wokingham Road Co-operative store on Sunday morning with two others.
The Earley branch, close to Meadow Road, was hit as the store opened at 6.40am by a man with a gun. He stole cash from the store’s tills.
Staff members said that although they are shaken, they are OK.
It comes days after another attack took place at a Co-Op: The London Road branch at Cemetery Junction was raided late at night by a robber armed with a knife on Monday, February 12.
Again, no one was injured in the attack, but staff were left shaken.
And in the early hours of Saturday, February 17, ram raiders stole a cash machine from a Co-op in Frimley Road, Camberley. They left the machine in the road and it is not believed that any money was stolen.
Police do not believe that those incidents are linked, but they are connecting today’s raid with two others.
An hour later this morning, at 5.45am, a man raided the One Stop on Marlow Bottom Road, Marlow.
Police said that he was also armed with a gun. In this case, he was unable to access any money and fled empty handed.
And last night, around 11.30pm, a man with the same description stole cash from the safe of a Tesco Express store on Tring Road in Wendover. This time, he was armed with a machete.
In all three linked raids, the offender is described as a black man, of chubby/large build, around 30 to 40-years-old, around 6ft tall, with a face covering and wearing blue jeans, dark coloured hat and dark clothing.
Senior investigating officer, Detective Inspector Mark Carolan of Force CID based at Newbury, said: “We are carrying out a thorough investigation into these incidents that at this stage believe to be linked.
“These incidents were very traumatic for those involved, in order to assist us in our investigation we would ask anyone with any information to come forward and contact us.
“If anyone has a dash cam and was driving past any of these locations around the time of these incidents then we would ask you to check the footage and come forward.
“If anyone has any information we would ask them to call 101 quoting reference 1688 of 17/02/18.
“As a result of these incidents members of the public may see an increased police presence whilst we continue to investigate.”
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously
