The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Armed and masked raider robs bookies
An Inverness bookmakers has been robbed at knifepoint.
Police patrols have been stepped up following the raid on the Ladbrokes shop in Balloan Road. A cashier was confronted by a masked man wearing an openfaced motorcycle helmet who got away with a four-figure sum using a bicycle.
The raid is the third high profile robbery in the city this year.
Police patrols are being stepped up in Inverness after a city bookmakers was robbed at knifepoint.
A masked man wearing an open-faced motorcycle helmet forced a Ladbrokes worker to hand over a fourfigure sum before making his getaway on a bicycle.
He was wielding what is believed to be a kitchen knife when he entered the premises at the small shopping centre on Balloan Road at around 9.20pm on Monday. The cashier involved was “shaken but unhurt” said police.
The raid is the third highprofile robbery in Inverness this year. Two men appeared in court after an alleged robbery from the Paddy Power bookmakers on Sunday, March 30, and police are still hunting the knifeman who attempted to rob Barney’s newsagents in Church Street on Saturday, August 16.
Investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Michael Sutherland said that police would be discussing security with betting shops and other premises following the latest incident.
DCI Sutherland said: “Crimes of this nature are relatively rare in Inverness and we are carrying out high visibility patrols in the Hilton and surrounding area to provide reassurance to the public.
“We would urge anyone who may have seen the suspect or who has information regarding this crime to
“Crimes of this nature are relatively rare in Inverness”
contact us. I would also like to reassure the public that we are putting a significant effort into identifying the person responsible.”
As forensic officers examined the betting shop yesterday, residents said that they didn’t know anything had happened until police arrived.
The suspect is inhis early 20s, approximately 5ft 11in tall and of average build. He has distinctive heavy slanted eyebrows and was unshaven. He spoke with a local accent.
His face was masked by a grey scarf or snood covering his mouth and nose, and he was wearing black and yellow gloves, a grey blouson waterproof jacket, blue trousers and distinctive green high-top trainers.
The white open-faced helmet had a red oval mark on the front with flashes of colour throughout.
His bicycle was described as a dark bicycle with areas of white.
Anyone who saw a man fitting this description or anyone acting in a suspicious manner in the area is asked to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. A company spokesman said: “Ladbrokes takes these incidents very seriously and will be co-operating fully with the police investigation."