Man arrested after report of robbery at Nisa store in Alnwick

Northumbria Police received a call that someone had threatened staff at the Bondgate Within store before leaving with a quantity of money shortly before 9.30pm yesterday (Monday).

Nobody was seriously injured but the shop staff were left shaken by the incident.

Response officers and the force’s dog section were immediately deployed to scour the area and locate the suspect.

And it wasn’t long before a member of the public approached officers and said he believed he had seen a suspicious man entering a nearby property just moments after the robbery.

Officers accessed the upstairs flat and arrested a 26-year-old man who matched the witness’ description – with the suspected stolen cash found scattered all over the bedroom floor.

Detective Inspector Sally-Ann Pallace, of Northumbria Police, said: “This was an excellent outcome as we arrested a suspect and retrieved the suspected stolen cash all within an hour of the offence itself from taking place.

“Our immediate priority when this was reported to us was securing the scene and making sure we seized vital early evidence in order to tighten the net around those involved.

“After carrying out enquiries at the scene and in the local vicinity, officers were approached by a member of the public who stated he believed somebody suspicious had entered a nearby address – and that information proved crucial.

“This is another excellent example of how the public are our eyes and ears, and off the back of your information, we were able to successfully detain a suspect and retrieve the stolen money.

“I would like to thank everyone involved and hope this offers reassurance to the community. Criminality will not be tolerated and anybody found to be responsible can expect to be dealt with swiftly and robustly.”

The arrested man remains in police custody at this time.

If you see anything suspicious in your community, always report it to police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of its website or by calling 101. In an emergency, or if a crime is taking place, always ring 999.