Northern Ireland

Appeal for help identifying armed man who robbed west Belfast shop in `terrifying' ordeal

A business owner has appealed for the public's help with identifying an armed man who robbed a convenience store in west Belfast
A business owner has appealed for the public's help with identifying an armed man who robbed a convenience store in west Belfast A business owner has appealed for the public's help with identifying an armed man who robbed a convenience store in west Belfast

A WEST Belfast business owner has hit out at a "terrifying" armed robbery of his shop, during which a young staff member was threatened at gunpoint.

Paul McNeice, who co-owns Mace at Caffrey Court, off Glen Road, last night released a CCTV image of a man brandishing a large gun who entered the store and robbed it of almost £1,000 worth of cash and cigarettes.

The 52-year-old businessman yesterday told the Irish News that he will "not tolerate" such attacks and appealed to the public to help identify the armed man.

Mr McNeice said the man entered the shop at around 9.20pm on Tuesday and "whipped" a large firearm out from under his coat.

Pointing the gun at a young mother who was working behind the counter, the man demanded cash and cigarettes.

Mr McNeice said as the intruder was emptying the cigarettes into a carrier bag, "a customer came in and startled him and he made his exit through a rear door that leads on to Glen Road. The customer gave chase, however the suspect escaped.

The member of staff was unharmed but left "very, very shaken".

"We are not putting up with this and no business should," he said.

"It's hard enough in business without this. We put a sizeable investment into that shop and nobody has the right to come in and take anything whatsoever without paying for it. We are all about employing local people. We are family-orientated".

Mr McNeice said he had been left "angry" that a staff member had been put in such a position.

"It was a vicious terrifying attack on a young girl doing her daily work. Not on me as a retailer, on her specifically," he said.

"If anybody out there even thinks they know this guy, get in contact with the police. I personally will not tolerate this and neither will any of the business partners and nobody should anyway. We need to get this scumbag off the streets. There's no room in society for this type of person."

Police have appealed for information about the armed robbery, describing the intruder as being aged in his late twenties or early thirties, of slim build and approximately 5ft 6in tall. He was wearing dark trousers, a dark top and a dark-coloured monkey hat.