Minehead armed robbery - man arrested in Birmingham

A MAN has been arrested on suspicion of carrying out an armed robbery at a building society in Minehead and also a second raid at a building society in Weston-super-Mare a week earlier.
Both raids were on branches of the Nationwide Building Society and in each case the description of the robber was similar.
The Minehead incident occurred on Tuesday, July 24, when a man with what appeared to be a hand gun held up staff in the Nationwide offices, in The Parade, at about 4.45 pm.
The Weston-super-Mare robbery was in the Nationwide branch in High Street shortly before 2 pm on Monday, July 16, and was carried out by a man brandishing a black hand gun.
In both cases the robber escaped with a large sum of cash.
Despite intensive police activity in both Minehead and Weston immediately after the robberies, there was no trace of the offender.
But following extensive investigations and help from the public, police swooped on an address in Birmingham late on Thursday night, July 26.
There, they arrested a 31-year-old man in connection with both incidents and took him into custody to be transferred to Taunton for questioning.

Building society cashier held at gunpoint during robbery

POLICE have appealed for help from the public in catching an armed robber who struck in Minehead late in the afternoon on Tuesday, July 24.
The robbery happened in the Nationwide Building Society, in The Parade, where a cashier was held at gunpoint while a second member of staff was forced to fill a bag with cash.
It happened at about 4.45 pm when a man walked into the offices brandishing what appeared to be a hand gun and threatened staff.
He grabbed the cashier and began shouting as he threw a bag at a second woman and demanded she stuffed it with money.
The raider then snatched the bag away and ran to a car parked nearby, believed to be blue in colour and possibly a Peugeot make, which may have been parked around the corner in Holloway Street.
He was described as a white man about 6 ft tall, of thin build, aged between 20 to 30 years, with pointed features, and speaking with a strong Scottish accent, possibly Glaswegian.
The robber wore a white hooded top with some form of writing across the chest area and black faded jeans.
Police have appealed for anybody who was in the area at the time and may have seen anything suspicious, particularly a man running towards the parked car, to contact them.
Anybody with information can contact police at Minehead on 0845 4567000 or they can use the secure Crimestoppers contact form at https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/crimestoppers/ContactForm.aspx.
Alternatively they can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. They do not have to give a name and they could receive a reward.

Witness appeal after violent store robbery

POLICE are hunting a balaclava-wearing gang of three people after a violent robbery in a West Somerset convenience store.
The robbers are believed to have escaped with cash and cigarettes in the raid on the McColl’s store, in Park Street, Minehead.
It happened at about 8.30 pm on Saturday evening (November 25).
Two men wearing balaclavas entered the store and assaulted one of the staff with a piece of wood or possibly a baseball bat, who suffered minor injuries but did not require hospital treatment.
They then fled in a blue colour Vauxhall Astra car, registration G79 NYC, driven by the third member of the gang.
The car, which earlier had been reported as stolen, was found some time later, abandoned and burned out, in nearby Parks Lane, Minehead.
The robbers may have used a second vehicle, a beige colour 4x4, to leave the Parks Lane area after torching the Astra.
The two men who entered the shop were sketchily described as ‘young’ and between 5 ft 6 in and 5 ft 8 in tall.
McColl’s was recently rebranded after having traded in the town as Forbouys for many years.
It is part of the Martin McColl Ltd group, which includes the country’s largest chain of newsagents with more than 900 stores.
Police are appealing for help from anybody who may have seen the men entering the store or in one of the vehicles involved.
If anybody has any information, they are asked to contact Bridgwater CID on 0845 456 7000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, where they can leave information without giving their name. A reward may be available.