Ayrshire armed robberies - latest

In the latest in a series of incidents police are hunting two armed raiders who robbed an Ayrshire store
The men made off with a four-figure sum in cash from the Spar store in Crosshouse, near Kilmarnock at 10pm on Saturday night They threatened staff with what appeared to be a gun. The gun was not fired and no-one was injured. It is understood that the men made off in a car towards Kilmarnock.

The robbers are described as white, between 5ft 8ins and 6ft, and wearing dark clothing.

Detective Inspector Jim Downie said: "I would appeal to anyone who may have witnessed the robbery or who may have seen the vehicle driving away from the shop to contact Kilmarnock CID on 01563 505036 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

This is the fourth robbery in the Kilmarnock area in just weeks.

On Thursday night another Spar store was robbed when a man entered a branch in Dean Street and threatened staff with a gun before making off with a three-figure sum in cash.

The suspect, who ran off towards Witch Road, is between 5ft 7ins and 6ft, wearing a dark coloured jacket, dark denims and brown footwear.

Last week a security guard was robbed at gunpoint and £20,000 stolen in a raid at Tesco. That was just 10 days after the town's Asda store was targeted.

Also a masked raider held up a 39-year-old guard at Tesco's Glasgow Road store at 1.15pm last Tuesday, and stole a cash box containing a five-figure sum. The suspect in that case fled in a green Vauxhall Cavalier with a M prefix.