THE owner of a garage targeted in an armed robbery has warned other businesses to tighten their security.

Police said a raider wearing a crash helmet rode a motorcycle on to the forecourt of Cannon Poole service station in Hailey Road, Witney, at about 9.50pm last Saturday. He then threatened the three staff with a bar and demanded money.

Officers said the man took cash from the till and made off on the motorbike, which he had left parked by the cashpoint at the front of the service station. A man has since been arrested.

Nick Fraser, who owns the service station along with others at Yarnton and Carterton, said he had been warned by police after armed robbers allegedly targeted stores in the area the previous week. They were said to be brandishing weapons, including a syringe and a meat cleaver.

Mr Fraser said: “We’re trying to give police as much information as possible. People need to ensure they have CCTV installed and reduce the amount of cash they hold on the premises. It’s also a case of making sure staff are aware of what to do in these situations.

“We were warned by the police and we spoke to our staff. Their safety is the most important thing to us. The staff were all shocked and it was terrible for them. They handled the matter very well and didn’t put themselves in danger, but no-one should ever have to deal with that.”

Mr Fraser has since reduced the amount of cash held on the premises and given staff extra training.

Police statistics showed just five robberies recorded for Witney between June 2014 and 2015, but now there have been four alleged armed raids in just three weeks.

A man has been in charged in connection with a robbery at the Co-op in Shipton Road, Milton-under-Wychwood on Sunday, August 9. Lee Rudman, 36, of Blenheim Drive, Witney, appeared in Oxford Magistrate’s Court on Saturday charged with robbery.

He was remanded in custody to appear at Oxford Crown Court on September 14.

Police said a 44-year-old, a 36-year-old and a 34-year-old have been arrested on suspicion of robbery in connection with incidents at the Tesco Express in Fettiplace Road on August 5 and at Cogges Hill Road Tesco Express on August 8.

Officers said a man wearing a balaclava had gone into the Fettiplace Road branch and threatened staff with a syringe before making off with cash. At the Cogges Hill Road branch, a man threatened staff with a meat cleaver, police added.

Town Mayor Jim King said: “This does not happen in Witney a lot and I don’t think we’re going to see an explosion in this kind of crime.”