* A Berkshire retailer is recovering after being stabbed during a vicious attack. The store owner was behind the counter of Avenue Stores in Reading when a masked robber ran in and pointed a knife at him. The raider then demanded cash from the till before launching an attack on the retailer, which left him with a deep wound under his left arm and cuts to his arms and legs. The robber fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.

* C-stores in the East Midlands have been warned by police to be extra vigilant, after a three-man gang robbed several stores in the region. In the latest incident the armed gang forced staff at the Co-op store in Castle Donnington to hand over cash. They escaped in a getaway car. A police spokesman said: “We cannot rule out further attacks until this gang is caught. Store owners should be careful over security.”

* A gang of armed youths has been arrested on suspicion of carrying out an armed robbery on a c-store in Bristol. The trio, aged between 16 and 20 years old and wearing hooded tops and balaclavas, entered Smile Stores in the St George area, carrying a shotgun. They made off with cash, cigarettes and mobile phone cards, while terrified staff looked on.

* A Devon-based c-store owner was dragged 250 yards along a busy road as he tried to reclaim a bag containing thousands of pounds, which had been stolen from his post office and store. Two men forced their way behind the post office counter of Eric McVeigh’s Spar store in West Hoe. They filled a bag full of money and made their escape in a white van. However, Eric gave chase and grabbed hold of the bag through the van’s window, managing to recover most of the money.

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