Two more armed robberies

ARMED thieves who are terrorising staff and patrons at Hobart bottleshops, pharmacies, petrol stations and retail outlets are becoming more brazen in their attacks.

Two more armed robberies occurred on Hobart's Eastern Shore at the weekend -- at the Mornington Inn bottleshop and the BWS bottleshop at Eastlands.

They were the latest in a string of hold-ups in the state's South in recent months.

Insp Peter Powell of Bellerive CIB said yesterday while some of the crimes were opportunistic, others were well planned by daring thieves.

Saturday's robbery at the Mornington Inn occurred during the peak dinner trade at 6.40pm -- when the chances of being caught were much higher -- and was the second hold-up at the hotel in two months. Police believe the raids could be linked.

After taking money from the bottleshop sales assistant, the gunman went into other areas of the hotel, including the bar where about eight people were drinking, and made more threats to staff and patrons, even kicking one staff member before fleeing the scene

'People who use firearms pose a particularly high risk to members of the public'

He said the brazen nature of the attack bore similarities to other armed robberies around Hobart, including the earlier hold-up in April.

It could also be linked to a robbery at the Doctor Syntax Hotel in Sandy Bay in April, when two masked gunmen robbed the bottleshop and then forced terrified bar customers to lie on the floor and hand over their wallets.

Police have not yet caught the offenders. Insp Powell said it was a concern that armed robberies were occurring so regularly and businesses that traded late at night should ensure they had security measures in place. "Of course it is very concerning, and people who use firearms pose a particularly high risk to members of the public," he said.

Source: The Mercury