Vodafone bosses issue plea for help over alarming surge in robberies after Stamford raid
Telecoms bosses have called for action over an ‘alarming surge’ in robberies after a raid on a town phone shop.
Vodafone says the incident at its store in Stamford’s High Street — in which two masked men forced staff to hand over thousands of pounds worth of stock — is the latest in a worrying trend of violence for the industry.
The three staff at the store at the time are said to have been unharmed and have been offered support by the company and the franchisee. All three are back to work following the ordeal.
Police are still appealing for witnesses to the incident — which took place shortly before 1pm on Friday June 13 — to come forward as they look to catch the culprits.
A spokesman for parent company VodafoneThree said: “On Friday June 13, our Vodafone Stamford store reported a robbery involving two individuals, during which goods were stolen despite security measures in place.
“Thankfully, no staff in the store were harmed during the incident. We are keen to work with the Government and decision makers to discuss what actions can be taken as a collective to address this growing issue in our industry.
“Over the past four months, the telecoms industry has seen an alarming surge in robberies and attempted robberies in stores.
“In response, and alongside other safety measures, the industry has implemented a locked door policy requiring customers to wait outside until granted entry at certain stores.
“This growing and escalating trend puts both retail staff and customers at risk and severely disrupts our business operations. Violence of any kind against employees and customers is completely unacceptable, and their safety is our upmost priority.”
The shop closed on Friday afternoon as the team dealt with the fallout of the robbery. There was no damage done to the store and it was able to reopen the following day.
The men who carried out the robbery are described as wearing all black, both with face coverings, and both carrying duffel bags.
Anyone with information that can help the police with this investigation is urged to call 101 quoting incident 163 of June 13.
