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A brazen armed robber plundered tills at a west London supermarket in his second raid at the same shop in under two weeks.
CCTV footage shows the man jumping behind the counter before pulling a hammer from his bag at the Co-op on Askew Road, Shepherds Bush on Monday.
He then used it to smash open the till as terrified staff and customers look on.
The man, who appeared to have what looks like a machete in his bag, also grabbed cigarettes from a cabinet
A witness told Metro: ‘He comes in and leapfrogs the counter and then smashed his hammer on the till. He then takes money.
‘He looks calm but everyone was scared as it appeared he had a knife in the bag.
‘He did exactly the same a couple of weeks ago and smashed open two tills.
‘After that incident staff were told to not leave much cash in the tills so in the second occasion he didn’t get much at all. I can’t believe he risked coming back.’
Footage showed the man wearing the same dark clothes and hood during both attacks, the first of which was on November 23.
A witness to that incident, aged 72, told Metro: ‘I was in the shop and someone brushed past me. He jumped over the counter and hit the tills with an axe then legged it.
‘He was in and out in about 60 seconds. The staff were scared and so was I. I was told he got away with about £500.
‘I can’t believe he has had the brass neck to do it again.’
The robberies come as the retail industry has reported a massive increase in shop lifting, especially at supermarkets.
A staff member said: ‘It’s difficult enough for shops without blokes like this robbing us. Hopefully the footage will help us catch him.
‘I can’t believe he has robbed us again in such a short space of time. He is obviously very confident or a bit stupid.’
A Met Police spokesperson said: ‘Detectives are appealing for information following two aggravated burglaries at a supermarket in Shepherd’s Bush.
‘At about 8.50am on Saturday, November 23, a man has entered a commercial premises in in Askew Road, W12, and used an axe to smash the till before making off with money and cigarettes.
‘At about 6.50pm on Monday,December 2, a man entered the same store in Askew Road, W12 and used a hammer to smash the till before making off with money.
‘Detectives believe the incidents could be linked and are carrying out further enquiries.
‘No arrests have been made at this time. ‘
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