POLICE investigating an attempted robbery at a New Forest betting shop are appealing for a driver spotted near the scene to come forward.
Four men entered the Bet Fred bookmakers in Lyndhurst High Street at 9.20pm on Friday and threatened the two members of staff with violence.
No-one was injured during the incident and the men left empty-handed. They fled down the high street in the direction of Bolton’s Bench and are then believed to have entered the grounds of the Lyndhurst Park Hotel before disappearing from sight.
It's believed the same group of men then attempted to rob a Ladbrokes betting shop in Hedge End, Southampton on Saturday evening and stole £300 from Premier Foods in Portswood, Southampton half an hour later. One man - a 19-year-old from Southampton - has been arrested and is in custody at Southampton. Detectives say they are keen to identify the driver of a dark coloured Volvo seen near the Bet Fred shop in Lyndhurst. The car had a dog cage in the back and blacked-out windows.
Anyone with any information should call Lyndhurst CID on 0845 045 45 45.
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 The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.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 here