Ipswich: Police investigate third armed robbery incident in town after raid at Co-Op store
Tom Potter
The Co-Op on Clapgate Lane - Credit: Archant
Police are investigating an attempted armed robbery in Ipswich - the third raid of its kind in the town in the last 24 hours.
Officers are appealing for information following the incident at the Co-Op store in Clapgate Lane.
A man described as white, around 5ft 11in, wearing a wearing black hat, dark jacket and jeans, entered the store at about 4.20pm today. He confronted the cashier with what appeared to be a knife and demanded cash. The woman behind the counter refused and the man fled empty-handed. No one was hurt in the incident.
Jamie Treloar, from the Co-Op, confirmed an incident had occured.
He added: We're currently closed and we're assisting police with their invesitgation.
"No staff or colleagues were injured in the incident.
Police are asking anyone who may have been in the area at the time and may have seen the man, or anyone with information about who he is, to contact Ipswich CID on 101, quoting CAD 308 of today's date, May 29, or call Crimestoppers, anonymously if required, on 0800 555 111.
Tom Singh, who works at the Amar Brothers convenience store two doors down, said: "Apart from a couple of customers coming in and saying that the Co-Op had been held up I didn't hear anything.
"It was at about half four whejn customers came in and told me.
"I don't know if it's related to the incidents yesterday but hopefully the police will find who it is.
"This parade is always busy, there's always people around. You hope that it makes it safety in numbers."
Earlier police issued a CCTV image of a man wanted in connection with an armed robbery in Ipswich yesterday.
Just after 4pm yesterday, a man armed with a knife entered the Spar shop in Freehold Road and told staff to open the till. An amount of money was handed over before the man left.
Detectives are linking the raid to a second robbery, at a convenience store in Foxhall Road, later the same day.
At about 5.50pm, a man entered and demanded money from the shop owner, indicating that he was carrying a knife. A quantity of cash was handed over and the man made off in the Heath Road direction.
If you have any information in relation to either robbery, call Ipswich CID on 101 quoting crime reference IE/14/1399, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.