Police were today hunting a man they believe could be responsible for three shop raids in Hatfield Peverel and Witham.
In the first incident, a man went into Forbuoys newsagents in Hadfelda Square shortly before noon on Friday and asked for change.
When the 30-year-old shop assistant opened the till, the man forced her out of the way and stole cash.
The man was white, 5ft 11ins tall, of proportionate build, aged between 30 and 35 years old, with dark tufts of hair, stubble, and a long face. He wore a dark green bomber jacket and blue jeans.
Det Con Mick Frost believed the man could be responsible for two attempted till snatches in the Witham area.
On Saturday a man walked into Mace in The Street, Hatfield Peverel, just before 5.30pm on Saturday posing as a customer.
When he tried to snatch cash from the till, two women staff members struggled with him and he ran off empty-handed.
An hour later, police said a man, likely to be the same person as in the previous crimes, turned up at Sam's Stores in Laurence Road, Witham. He tried to snatch money from the till, but a woman assistant pushed him away and he ran off without any cash.
The man was described as 6ft tall, of slim build. He wore a woolly hat and dark-coloured jacket, possibly green.
Anyone with information should contact Det Con Mick Frost at Witham CID on 01376 501212 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111
Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article