Petrol station armed robberies up by 60%

The number of armed robberies at petrol stations has risen by 60 percent in the first half of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011, reports the Sud-Presse media group today. Armed robbers seem to show less interest in warehouses, small shops and cafes, concentrating instead on ‘easy targets’ such as petrol stations and chemists, the latter suffering a 10 percent increase in armed raids. Petrol stations are most likely to be targeted in the late afternoon, early evening or at night. This is an unwanted consequence of the trend for petrol stations to open 24 hours a day.