Terrified shop workers had guns held to their heads during a series of gunpoint robberies in Mid Ulster.
Staff at three shops were left badly shaken after a series of gunpoint robberies in the area on Thursday morning.
The armed burglaries took place in the Clonoe, Ballyronan and Coagh areas.
It’s understood staff in the three shops had just opened before being targeted by the series of traumatic incidents.
It’s understood none of the staff have been physically harmed and it is not yet known what was taken from the shops.
The first robbery at a filling station on the Ballinderry Bridge Road in Coagh took place at around 6.50am.
Two masked men armed with a handgun entered the store and threatened staff, placing a weapon to the head of one man forcing him to open the till.
The robbers made off with a sum of cash, travelling in a vehicle driven by a third man.
The second happened at a supermarket on Shore Road in Ballyronan and was reported just before 7am.
Again two men armed with a handgun, threatened staff, placing the gun to the head of one staff member, before making off with cash and a quantity of cigarettes.
A short time later the third armed robbery was reported. This time a shop on Moor Road in Clonoe was robbed at gunpoint, with the suspects again making off with cash.
A police spokesman said it is believed the vehicle used by the robbers, a blue Audi A6, was stolen early on Thursday from outside an address in Portadown whilst the vehicle had been left running to warm up.
It was subsequently found on fire at Drumcree Community Centre at around 8.40am.
“Thankfully no one was injured during any of these robberies however staff have been left understandably shocked by the ordeal they experienced,” they said.
Mid Ulster MLA Linda Dillon, who lives nearby to one of the targeted premises, says the local community is coming to the aid of the staff affected.
“The trauma caused to staff as a result of this morning is just unacceptable,” Ms Dillon said.
@LindaDillon81 speaking at the scene of a third gunpoint robbery in Clonoe this morning. A stolen car was found on fire in Portadown a short time later, believed to have been used by those involved@irish_news pic.twitter.com/2iXWY3UBpN
— Conor Coyle (@ccoyle212) January 30, 2025
“Thankfully nobody has been seriously hurt but these shop workers are well-known in their local community and should not have to go through ordeals like this.
“Our thoughts are with them at the moment and as a community we will rally around them.
“I would urge anyone with information about these incidents to contact the PSNI.”
SDLP councillor for the area, Malachy Quinn, said the incidents had left him “absolutely disgusted”.
“Everyone knows the massive role Spar plays in our community – not just as a shop but through donations to local charities, sports clubs, and community initiatives.
“The scumbags who carried out these robberies offer nothing to our communities but fear and distress.
“My thoughts are with the staff who were put through this ordeal – they should not have to face this in their workplace.
Local independent councillor Dan Kerr has described those who carried out the robberies as “parasites”.
“I’d like to send solidarity to the staff at Lynch’s SPAR Clonoe who had to endure an unsavoury experience this morning when a person armed with a gun robbed them. I know the staff and know the shop itself has donated to many local charities, sporting organizations etc.
“Over the Covid 19 Experience they sent trollies upon trollies to our Foodbank appeal and for that we at the Coalisland Community Hub & Foodbank are forever grateful.”
Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn Roberts said the robberies were “utterly disgraceful”.
“We shouldn’t forget these are independent retailers that go above and beyond to serve their local community,” he said.
“Retailers are sadly experiencing record levels of assault of shop staff, shoplifting and robberies.
“It is crucially important that the Department of Justice include the assault of shop staff is specified in the forthcoming Sentencing Bill.”
