AN ARMED robbery at a bookmaker’s shop in Inverness led to the city’s oldest church and two streets being cordoned off by police.
Highland and Islands division officers confirmed last night that “a man presented a weapon, believed to be a handgun, to a member of staff”.
A five-figure sum of money – believed to be in the region of £12,000 – was taken from the Paddy Power shop just after it opened yesterday morning.
A police spokesman said: “The man responsible for the incident was seen leaving the shop in the direction of an area known locally as Post Office Lane before heading on to Church Street and crossing the Greig Street footbridge and passing under Friars Bridge.”
The man is described as Caucasian, approximately six feet and of average build.
At the time of the incident he was wearing a black bomber jacket, light-blue hooded top, a black balaclava, black cargo trousers and black shoes.
Police said he walked a short distance before changing from these clothes into a red-and-black check hooded top with a white woollen fleece lining, a black fleece-lined hat with ear flaps and black trainers with white soles.
After walking a short distance farther, he changed into a dark-coloured T-shirt, faded black jeans and removed the hat. He was also carrying a large black holdall.
An officer guarded the entrance to the premises in Queensgate throughout the day and customers arriving to place bets on the day’s sporting fixtures were turned away at the door.
Forensic officers were also seen entering the shop to examine and photograph the interior.
There was also a large police presence in the city centre throughout the day as the investigation spread to other parts of the Old Town. Most businesses in the area were closed yesterday.
Post Office Avenue, which runs parallel to Queensgate, was cordoned off with police tape, as was Church Lane, which leads between Bank Street and Church Street.
Two officers and a police dog were also seen searching the grounds of the Old High Church.
However, Sunday services were not disrupted as the congregation was gathering at its sister venue, St Stephen’s, at the junction of Old Edinburgh Road and Southside Road.
It is thought that officers are also examining CCTV footage from cameras inside the shop and on the surrounding streets.
No one from Paddy Power was available for comment yesterday.
One member of the public, who did not want to give his name, said: “I heard that Paddy Power was robbed when it opened and that they had a gun. The police just swarmed in earlier this morning.”
Councillor Donnie Kerr said: “As the local councillor, it does concern me when something like this happens.
“It is very disturbing for the staff involved, whether it is a real or imitation weapon.” The Paddy Power branch in Queensgate opened only in November last year. It is just yards away from two other betting shops – William Hill and Ladbrokes.
The shop created five jobs and includes four fixed-odds games machines, which have been criticised for allowing customers to lose hundreds of pounds in minutes.
Staff at the William Hill bookmaker’s, which is directly opposite Paddy Power, said they did not know what had happened, adding that they were not allowed to comment.
The local area police commander for Inverness, Chief Inspector Mark Mackay, said last night: “Thankfully nobody was injured in the course of this incident.
“Crimes of this nature are relatively rare in Inverness and we will be carrying out high-visibility patrols in the city centre and surrounding areas whilst our efforts continue to identify the person responsible.
“The investigation is being led by Detective Inspector Richie Guild, of the major investigation team, and we would urge anyone who may have seen the suspect or who has information regarding this crime to contact us as a matter of urgency.”
Police are keen to speak to anyone who may have seen a man fitting the description of the suspect or anyone acting suspiciously in the area. They should contact the police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.