
We have arrested a man and woman following two attempted robberies in Liverpool on Monday (30 March 2020).
At around 8.55pm a man entered PRM Rocket Food Stores on Queens Drive armed with what is believed to be a knife. He confronted a member of staff and during the struggle the male assistant suffered cuts to his fingers.
Nothing was stolen from the shop and the male fled empty handed in the direction of Edge Lane. The assistant was taken to hospital for treatment for his injuries.
A short time later, at 9.10pm, a man and woman entered Blue Nile on Holt Road, Kensington.
The man threatened a shop worker with a knife and demanded money.
Following an – causing a small cut to the finger - and the offender dropped the weapon and left empty-handed on foot with the female suspect.
Following extensive enquiries, two people were arrested last night (Tuesday 31 March).
A 35-year-old woman and a 34-year-old man, both from West Derby, have been arrested on suspicion of two counts of attempted robbery and taken for interview.
Detective Inspector Sean Kelly-Martland said: “Shopworkers at both premises were injured during these incidents, one requiring stitches, and they were understandably left shaken by what they were subjected to.
“Business crime is not a victimless crime – it has a huge impact on the people who work in shops such as these in the heart of our communities.
“We will never tolerate criminals who put fear into those people, who are just trying to earn a living, especially at a time when the service they provide is more vital than ever.
"While the vast majority of people in Merseyside are respecting the instruction to only travel if it is essential to manage the spread of coronavirus, our work to tackle crime and protect our communities continues.
"We have seen a reduction in demand for the force, so we have more officers out on the streets proactively policing to stop criminals in their tracks and keep people safe."
Anyone with information should contact Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’. You can also call 101 quoting incident reference 20000190928 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their website here: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously