Smoke-cloaking device thwarts Leicester c-store firearm robbery

The incident happened at the store on the junction of Saffron Lane and Shakespeare Street in Leicester at around 12:40pm on 2 August.

Police said a man, described as black and wearing dark clothing with his face covered, entered the store demanding money.

Armed with what is believed to be a firearm, the offender ran out of the store empty-handed when the smoke cloaking device was activated. Nobody was injured and nothing was stolen.

Detective inspector, Tim Lindley, said: “Please think back to if you were in the area at the time. Did you see the incident or the man described? Did you speak to anyone in the area at this time?

“I am particularly keen to speak to a taxi driver who stopped to speak to the shopkeeper at the premises around the time of the incident, as I believe he can help our enquiries. Anyone with any CCTV or dashcam footage from the area is also urged to check this and make contact with us.”

The incident followed a number of recent armed robberies across the UK, including an incident in the West Midlands in which a female convenience store worker was attacked by masked men armed with baseball bats and an attempted robbery at a village c-store in Oxfordshire.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact Leicestershire Police on 101, quoting incident 258 of 1 August.