POLICE are investigating whether or not two robberies at separate Trowbridge convenience stores, where thieves threatened staff with knives, are connected.

Knife-brandishing thieves entered the One Stop shop in Marston Road at 9.05pm one night, threatened members of staff, , and then stole £1,000 from two tills.

A similar robbery took place at Tesco Express in Brook Road at 10.34pm, where two masked men pointed their knives at staff and demanded them to give them money from the tills.

The One Stop shop robbery, took place on March 1 and the Tesco heist on December 28. In both instances the staff were left extremely shaken.

DC Anthony Swift, from Melksham CID, said: “We are keeping an open mind about whether or not they are linked.”

In the One Stop shop attack, both men were white, aged between 18-24 and around six feet tall. The first man was wearing a black, close-fitted jacket with a single rib on the shoulder and a small white motif on the rear, just below the collar.

Beneath this he was wearing a grey hooded top, with the hood up and the drawstring pulled tightly around his face, and a black scarf or balaclava covering his face. He was also wearing dark trousers and red gloves with dark palms.

The second was wearing a dark red hooded top with the hood up and the drawstring pulled tightly around his face, with single white vertical lines across the shoulders. He was wearing black tracksuit bottoms with a white drawstring and black gloves.

DC Swift added: “”This was a very frightening incident for those working in the shop that evening and, although nobody was injured, they have been left feeling shaken and concerned.

“Since the robbery we have been carrying out an extensive investigation, including forensics and house-to-house enquiries and are now at the stage where we can release CCTV to ask for the public’s assistance.

“We are urging people to look at the pictures carefully and read through the descriptions of their clothing. Do either of these men look or sound familiar?

“We want to reassure the public that we are carrying out a thorough investigation and are working hard to find the two men responsible.”

In the Tesco raid, the men were described as white, tall and of average build. They spoke with local accents and were wearing dark coloured hooded tops or jackets, jogging bottoms, dark gloves and dark trainers.

CCTV images have been released of both robberies and police are asking people to call DC Swift at Melksham CID on 101 with information.