ARMED robbers have raided the Central Convenience store in Winsley village for the third time this year.

Store manager Sam Strong was forced to hand over an unspecified amount of cash from the till when he was threatened by a man with a knife on Sunday afternoon (Aug 25).

Mr Strong, 29, said: “It was very, very quick. This guy just came in and threatened me with a knife and demanded the money. I just gave him the money and he went.

“I have only been here a couple of months but I understand that it’s the third time this year the shop has been robbed.

“The first time it was someone with a knife and the second time it was a distraction robbery with threats. Now we have been robbed again by someone with a knife.

“I guess it’s because it’s a quiet village and it’s quite close to the A36. People can come off the main road and get back on it quite easily.”

“I have worked in retail now for a decade and we just give them the money and they leave.”

The incident happened around 1pm on Sunday and police are investigating. They deployed the force helicopter to try and track down the robber.

A Wiltshire Police spokesman said: “A man entered the shop, produced what is believed to have been a Stanley knife, and demanded the shop assistant hand over the contents of the till.

"The shop worker was not injured but was left shaken up.

"The suspect is described as white, approximately 5 ft 8 inches tall, with dark black hair. He was thin and had a goatee and moustache. He was wearing a black jacket and large sunglasses. We’d urge anyone with information to contact us on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously."