A manhunt has been launched after three men threatened a convenience store worker in West Lothian with an imitation gun, meat cleaver and hammer during an armed robbery.
The three males stole a number of items before running off down the footpath to the side of the Fork and Field and into the woodland trail, known locally as Rabbits.
The incident happened in the Mid Calder Convenience Store around 7pm on Monday (March 31). Officers were soon called to the scene and no injuries were reported.
The trio are all described as being in their late teens or early 20s and white, with the first two both being around 5ft 10in tall and of slim build, with the third 5ft 7in.
The first was wearing a blue and black ski mask, camouflage hooded top, black bodywarmer, black joggers, black trainers with a white trim, red gloves with black on the inside and had a black rucksack.
The second was wearing a black mask and red glasses, grey North Face jacket, black joggers, black trainers and carrying a red hold-all while the third was wearing a black jacket, black Nike joggers, black trainers with white trim and with a black bag.
Detective Constable Lynn Myles said: "This was a frightening incident for staff in the shop and it's vital we trace those responsible.
"I'm appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time and saw the three males, or who recognises the description of them, to come forward.
"Anyone with private CCTV, doorbell cameras or dash-cams in and around this area is urged to review the footage and bring anything of significance to our attention."
While retail crime in UK is touching sky-high levels, it is also seen that culprits are becoming more violent and brazen.
Earlier in March in a similar incident, staff at a Bottesford store were threatened with a hammer during a brazen robbery.
Around 10:30 am on March 12, a male suspect entered a shop on Grantham Road and brandished the weapon before jumping over the counter. He then proceeded to steal a quantity of cigarettes before fleeing the scene in a silver Volkswagen Tiguan.
These violent incidents underscore the growing threat faced by retail staff, a trend highlighted in the recently released 2025 ACS Crime Report.
The report, published last week by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), revealed a record level of theft against convenience store retailers, with an estimated 6.2 million shop theft incidents in the past year, up from 5.6 million the year before.
The report also detailed over 59,000 incidents of violence and 1.2 million instances of verbal abuse in the sector.
