Warning to owners after armed robbery at store

Warning to owners after armed robbery at store

4 November 2015

A NEWCASTLE business targeted by an armed robber carrying a knife has warned other shops in the town to take care.

The Bon-Bon store on Central Promenade was targeted by the man last Tuesday evening shortly before 8.30pm.

Two staff members found the man with a knife in private quarters of the shop. 

He got one of the staff members to carry a safe outside, however the member of staff ped the safe in the street and the man made off on foot. 

A small amount of petty cash and a mobile phone was taken.

One member of staff recounting the frightening experience says he believes the man has been spotted in other premises in the town.

“I found the fellow looking over a safe,” he said. “He had a knife. I did not know what was happening.

“He wanted the safe open. I could not open it. I was happy enough for him to take the safe as I wanted him out. I was not overly threatened.”

The man, who had never seen the robber before, believes he ran off in the direction of south Promenade.

“He is about five feet nine or five feet 10 inches in height, medium build with short enough brown hair,” he said.

The staff member noted that their back door was open at the time and that he may entered this way. He said the man was initially seen using his mobile phone.

“He was on the phone looking like he was talking to somebody,” he said.

“To other shops I would say, keep your back doors closed. Our lock was broken at the time.”

A police spokesman said: “I would appeal to anyone who saw this man or who knows anything about this incident to contact Downpatrick Police Station on the non emergency number 101. Or if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

Police in Newcastle are also investigating several burglaries and thefts in the Castlewellan area.

A number of power tools, which were stored in a van, were stolen in the Station Avenue area of Castlewellan, sometime between the evening of Monday, October 26 and 7am on Tuesday, October 27. 

A chainsaw was also reported stolen from a garage at a separate address in the Station Avenue area last Tuesday.