Police appeal after third armed robbery

Police are currently reporting the man as being under the age of 40, wearing a wooly black hat. Detectives said it is “likely” the offender was wearing a high visibility jacket and made off on a white and black moped which could have had the numbers five and eight in the registration number. Police are currently investigating whether last night’s incident is linked to a similar offence on Christmas Eve in the town. At around 6pm, a man threatened a male assistant at the Prospect Filling Station with a knife making off with cash. The suspect is described as being a white man aged between 20 and 30 years old, approximately 6’ in height, of slim build with brown eyes. He was reportedly wearing a blue hat and face scarf with horizontal stripes, a blue sweatshirt, jeans and dark shoes.

In addition, on December 21, at 9pm, a man threatened a member of staff with a knife at the Co-op supermarket on South Street and made off with cigarettes and vodka. Police have charged Samuel Murphy, in his 20s, from Axminster with the offence. Police are not linking the offences with an alleged attempted robbery at a residential address on Flax Meadow Road in the town at 9pm on Friday, December 27. A man reportedly knocked on the door of a house and threatened a woman in her 40s with a knife. No property was taken but the woman is understood to have suffered minor injuries in the incident. The offender is described as being a young man about 5’6” in height, wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and black gloves with light coloured blue jeans.

It is thought he may have made off with an accomplice in an old style car with a loud exhaust.The offences follow a robbery involving an offender threatening a shop assistant with a knife in Seaton early in the month. Detective Constable Matt Sinker, who is involved in the investigations, is urging anyone with any information about the offences to contact them. These are serious incidents and officers are working hard to identify if they are linked and who is responsible. “Anyone with any information about the incidents, such as anyone who saw someone race off from the Tesco petrol station on a moped, or anyone acting suspiciously in any of the locations, should contact us.”