Traffic warden stops armed robber

The traffic warden restrained the man until police officers arrived

A traffic warden who restrained an armed robber during a raid on a shop in Bellshill in North Lanarkshire has been praised by police.

The warden, and a delivery driver, came to the aid of staff at the Nisa store in Hamilton Road after a robbery at about 1000 GMT on Friday.

They managed to close the shop's roller shutter preventing the suspect, who was armed with a knife, from escaping.

Police arrested a 29-year-old man in connection with the incident.

The robber allegedly threatened staff with the knife and demanded money.

While the raid was ongoing the delivery driver came into the store but when he realising what was happening quickly headed outside closing the shutter behind him.

He alerted a passing traffic warden who then restrained the armed man as he tried to crawl under the shutter.

'Brave act'

He was able to hold the suspect until police officers arrived on the scene.

Two days earlier a similar robbery was carried out at Bankhead convenience store in Bellshill.

A man allegedly brandishing a knife escaped with a three figure sum of cash.

Constable Alan Wylie, of North Lanarkshire Community Safety Team, said: "As a result of excellent public assistance and an act of bravery by local traffic warden , a 29-year-old male from the Bellshill area has been apprehended in connection with both robberies."