CCTV appeal after shop customer threatened with saw during robbery

LANCASHIRE Police are appealing for information after a customer was threatened with a saw during a robbery at a Spar shop.  Police have now released a CCTV image of a man they would like to speak to in connection with the incident at the Bolton-le-Sands shop on 21 February 2010.  Three males, wearing their hoods up, entered the store and demanded cash and cigarettes from the cashier. A Stihl saw was used in an attempt to steal further cash from an ATM located within the store. The saw was also used to threaten a male customer who entered the store during the robbery.  A fourth male was waiting outside and the group are believed to have left the area in a car that had been stolen in a burglary in Maghull the day before. Detective Sergeant Paul Richardson, Lancaster and Morecambe burglary team, said:- “This was quite a terrifying incident for the female cashiers and the elderly female customer who were inside the shop, as well as the male customer who entered the store while this was happening. We believe the offenders are not from the local area and would urge anyone with any information to come forward.”

The CCTV image attached is NOT from the store where the robbery took place.

INJURY SHOOTING - HAMPSTEAD ROAD, KENSINGTON, LIVERPOOL

MERSEYSIDE Police Detectives in north Liverpool are appealing for information after a man was injured during a shooting in the Kensington area of Liverpool on Wednesday, 23 June 2010. Officers were called to a flat in Hampstead Road shortly before 11pm following reports that a man had been shot in the leg. The victim, who is 25 year old, was taken to hospital with a single gunshot wound to his upper left leg which is not believed to be life threatening. His condition this morning is described as stable. No-one else was injured during the incident. At this early stage of the investigation, the full circumstances surrounding the shooting have yet to be established and the motive is unclear. The flat and Hampstead Road have been cordoned off for further forensic examination this morning and patrols have been stepped up in the area. Anyone who has any information about this incident is asked to contact the Matrix team on:- 0151 777 5699 or Crimestoppers on:- 0800 555 111.

POLICE IN SEFTON ISSUE WARNING ABOUT COLD CALLERS

MERSEYSIDE Police in Sefton are warning people not to get duped by cold callers after a pensioner forked out thousands of pounds for a new roof that was never fitted.

The 68 year old man was persuaded to hand over £4,000 in cash to three men who called at his home in Moorland Road last Thursday claiming his roof needed replacing.

The men, who were all white and spoke with Irish accents, waited in a van outside the man's home while he went to withdraw the cash from a bank.

When he handed over the money the men left claiming they needed to go and buy materials to do the job but never returned.

Now officers are urging residents not to handed over cash to people who claim to be tradesman who turn up unannounced at people's homes saying work needs doing.

Neighbourhood Inspector for Maghull, Kevin Booth, said:- "This was a despicable incident carried out by three men who targeted a vulnerable member of our community. They turned up out of the blue at his home last Friday falsely claiming that his roof need re-doing otherwise a falling tile or slate could hurt someone. This was all a con as the homeowner had only had work done on his roof a few weeks earlier. The men have then persuaded him to go and take several thousands of his savings from the bank and hand it over on the premise they needed to buy materials. However, they did not return and this poor man has been left significantly out of pocket and is very distressed. I would urge residents not to fall for this kind of scam. Never pay cash to anyone claiming to be a tradesman who turns up at your front door unannounced. Never hand over cash and never let anyone into your home without checking they have identity and can prove who they work for. If in doubt, keep them out."

The three men were all white, aged in their late 20s or early 30s and spoke with Irish accents. They were driving an old, blue-coloured Transit-type van with ladders on the roof.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or saw three men or a van matching this description in Moorland Road or the Sefton area, is urged to call Merseyside Police on:- 0151 709 6010 or leave information anonymously via Crimestoppers on:- 0800 555 111.

NEXT OF KIN APPEAL - BERTRAM PILE

LIVERPOOL Coroners' Office is appealing for the next of kin of Bertram Pile to come forward. Mr Pile, 89, of Bedford Street South in Liverpool died at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital on Monday, 28 June 2010. His death is not suspicious and he died of natural causes. Anyone with any information of Mr Pile's next of kin, or of how to trace his relations, is asked to call the Liverpool Coroner's Office on:- 0151 233 4705.