Women traders have spoken to gethampshire about their fears after another armed robbery in Aldershot.
A knife-wielding robber threatened to stab a woman shop assistant at a convenience store before making off with hundreds of pounds last Friday.
The man wearing a hooded top with a scarf covering his face approached One Stop in Lower Farnham Road as shop worker Hayley Hurst was closing the shop at around 10pm.
Store manager Gill Horton said the knifeman threatened to “stick” Mrs Hurst with the weapon when she refused to let him into the store.
She said it was then the robber shoved past the 28-year-old, who was stood behind the door, burst into the shop and went through a side door leading to the till where he grabbed around £360.
Describing the incident, Mrs Horton said: “It was closing time when this person came towards Hayley. He said ‘I’ll stick you with this knife’ and pushed her backwards to get in the door.
“There was a male assistant serving the last customer but he (the robber) got behind the counter through a side door and took all the notes out of the till.”
Fretful and vulnerable
The suspect, white and aged 18-23, ran off down Boxalls Lane towards Old Brickfields Road. He was wearing a dark tracksuit with a baseball cap underneath a hooded top which had a light stripe down each sleeve and a light motif on the front.
Mrs Horton said Mrs Hurst had now handed in her notice. She and other members of staff felt “fretful” and “vulnerable”.
She said: “We’ve never had any violence here. This is the first time in the 14 years I have been here. It’s easy money for them but it’s a big loss to us. We couldn’t open up again until 2.30pm the next day while the police were investigating and Saturday morning is one of our busiest times.
“It’s awful to think people are walking around this area carrying a knife. I open up the shop every morning and I’ve never been fretful, but nobody thinks these things are going to happen to them so I do feel that way now.
“It makes you feel vulnerable.”
Mrs Horton has spread the word among young people to come forward with any information they might have.
She continued: “I was not shocked. I was more disappointed than anything because we have a lot of youngsters around here and I am disappointed, if it is one of them, that they have taken it this far.
“When they have caused problems for customers coming in and leaving the shop we ask them how they would feel if that was their mum who had come to buy a loaf of bread.
“We talk to them in a respectful way and normally that works.
”The robbery is the second to have happened in the town in the past fortnight.
Gunmen strike
Last Tuesday (September 16) gunmen held up staff and a customer at travel agents Thomas Cook in Union Street and escaped with money from the bureau de change.
On April 29 robbers raided and stole cash from the in-store post office in Costcutter in Boxall’s Lane while owner Mukesh Lalji was in his shop.
Thieves armed with rounders bats raided Manor Estate Happy Shopper on the corner of St Michael’s Road and East Station Road on March 31.
Jan Palmer, temporary manager at Martin The Newsagent in Church Road off the Lower Farnham Road, said robberies were becoming a regular occurrence in Aldershot.
She said: “Hearing this sort of thing is happening just down the road and knowing people carry knives does makes you feel vulnerable. There is always the chance that could happen in the branch I manage in North Town.
“I think the threat is bigger there because we serve alcohol in that shop, but we don’t here.”
Detective Constable Andy Grieve of Aldershot CID said: “This was a very serious incident and we are keen to hear from anyone who witnessed it or has any information about it.”
Call him on 0845 0454545 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.