Two men arrested for vandalising Burnley store and threatening worker with knife

Police today (15) confirmed the arrest of two men who allegedly vandalised a Premier store in Burnley and also threatened a shop worker with knife and hammer, stated recent reports.

A Premier convenience store in Accrington Road in Burnley on Monday (13) was vandalised during an attempted robbery, local reports said, adding that during the attack, the men also threatened a member of staff with a knife and hammer. The incident happened at around 11.30am.

As per the reports, the men entered the store armed with a knife and hammer and began to vandalise the place when the owner refused to hand over any money.

An investigation was soon launched and an hour later, two men and one woman were arrested in this regard.

The police has confirmed the arrest of a 38-year-old man, from Preston, and a 46-year-old man, of no fixed abode, who are charged with robbery and possession of an offensive weapon.

They will appear before Blackburn Magistrates’ Court tomorrow morning (September 16).

The latest incident comes amid the calls from retailers and business lobbies for having a specific sentencing for retail assaults. 

The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) is urging Tories to amend the terms of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (PCSC) ahead of its second reading while retail union Usdaw has also recently urged the prime minister to step in and support retail workers in the new bill.

“We are calling on the government to take urgent and decisive action to consider amendments to the PCSC to create a separate offence for attacks on shop workers and provide our colleagues with the protection they desperately need,” said ACS chief executive James Lowman.

In a briefing to members of the Lords, the ACS outlined the scale of the problem with more than 40,000 shop workers experiencing violence and 89 per cent being verbally abused over the past year.

In Scotland, MSPs voted through a new ground-breaking law to protect shop workers, which came into force last month.