Shop staff praised for detaining armed robber

Officers have praised the bravery of shop staff who detained an armed robber, leading to his arrest and sentencing last week.

Martin Locke, 40, from Peterlee was sentenced to three years Durham by Crown Court after pleading guilty to attempted robbery and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Locke attended Crosslands Store, in Sunderland Road, on 25 April where he threatened the shopkeepers with a weapon and demanded money from the till.

Following a struggle, the staff managed to detain Locke while officers made their way to the scene.

Detective Inspector Sharon Alderson, from Peterlee CID said: “The victims displayed a great deal of bravery by tackling the offender outside of the shop and disarming him.

“I’d like to express my personal thanks to them for their actions, which played a vital role in securing Locke’s guilty pleas and subsequent sentence we have seen this week.”