Gunpoint robbery at resort newsagent

Armed police were called to Thoroughgoods in Springfield Road just before 5pm on Saturday, and a man has since been arrested on suspicion of robbery and firearms offences.

Force Incident Manager, Inspector Martin Bishop, said: “Just before 5pm, we received a call from a store in Springfield Road in Blackpool to say a male had been in there, pointed a gun at the cashier and asked for money, been given money and left the store with the gun.

“We responded to it appropriately with local officers and armed officers in the area to conduct searches.

“We’ve identified a suspect from CCTV images and, as a consequence, conducted an arrest nearby, where a male in his 20s has been arrested without further incident.

“Further inquiries and searches are going on of his home address.

“He didn’t have a firearm at the point of arrest, so we are still actively searching his home address and the immediate vicinity for the weapon - a black hand gun.”

Nobody was hurt during the ordeal.