A Stonehaven shopkeeper was taken to hospital last night after a robbery at the store.
Police and ambulance teams were called to the Best One shop on King’s Road shortly after 6.15pm after reports of a raid.
The owner of the shop was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary following the incident.
The extent of his injuries could not be confirmed, but they were not believed to be life-threatening.
Police later said they were carrying out inquiries and officers taped off the premises.
Officers were seen searching around gardens close to the shop in the hours after the incident.
Residents close to the scene said they also saw police teams, including dog units, using poles to search around the small grassy area behind the houses opposite the store.
Police would not confirm if the injuries sustained by the shop’s owner were due to a knife, and would not comment on reports that a man had been stabbed.
A police spokesman said: “Police can confirm they are dealing with an incident in Stonehaven during which items were stolen from a shop premises on King’s Road. As a result of the incident, a male sustained a minor injury and was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Police inquiries are at an early stage, and no further details are currently available.”
One resident who lives directly across the road from the store said: “We saw the ambulance crew coming in and out the door, and I saw the owner, who’s a really nice, down-to-earth guy with a sling on one of his arms. It’s a shame.
“I always chat with him when I go in to the shop, he commutes back and forth from Aberdeen to Stonehaven, but he was just telling me the other day he was thinking of moving here.
“I’ve been here 22 years, and this is the first time I’ve heard of anything like this in this neck of the woods, and in Stonehaven in general it’s really not that common.”
The man also said he and his partner saw officers searching the park behind his home from his rear window.
He added: “We saw the police out the back, looking about in the public park.” Phil Mills-Bishop, the vice-chairman of Stonehaven Community Council, lives close to the store.”
He said: “In the past, let’s say 10 years ago, this would maybe not be an unusual occurrence in this area, but it’s surprising as in recent years this sort of thing just doesn’t happen here.”
“These days, we don’t see so much police presence in the area, in the neighbourhood. We don’t quite get the local bobby on the street as much as we used to do around the area, and I know it’s all about resources and stuff, but it’s worrying if we’ve had quite a serious incident like this on our doorstep.”
Those with information about the incident are urged to contact the police on 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 if they wish to remain anonymous.