About 4.15pm on Thursday (28 June 2018), police will allege a man entered a store on the New England Highway, and threatened a staff member with a weapon before stealing cash.

No one was physically injured.

Officers from Oxley Police District commenced an investigation.

Following inquires, a 33-year-old man was arrested at a Tamworth Cinema about 6.30pm yesterday (Friday 29 June 2018).

The man was taken to Tamworth Police Station where he was charged with robbery armed with an offensive weapon.

He was refused bail to appear before Tamworth Bail Court today (Saturday 30 June 2018).

POLICE say stolen number plates were fixed to a getaway car used by the armed man to flee the scene of a Tamworth robbery.

Police have seized the getaway car – a blue Mitsubishi Magna – which was stopped by officers with occupants inside in South Tamworth, just hours after the robbery of The Good Guys on Thursday afternoon.

“We found the car [on Thursday night] which we believe may have been involved in the armed robbery,” Oxley Chief Inspector Phil O’Reilly told The Leader.

“There were people in it at the time. The vehicle was searched, some items were seized and the vehicle seized for forensic examination.”

The car was stopped by police in Petra Avenue. Chief Inspector O’Reilly said that car was not stolen and no one has been arrested.

“We believe there was a set of stolen registration plates that were affixed to the vehicle at the time of the robbery and we now know where they come from,” he said.

“We would be appealing for anyone in the South Tamworth area on Thursday afternoon that saw that dark coloured Mitsubishi Magna, including anyone seen altering number plates on that vehicle, to come forward and contact Tamworth detectives.”

Detectives are hunting the knife-wielding man behind the armed hold-up, who jumped from the car, ran into the store in the Longyard’s Homemaker Centre and jumped the counter.

He threatened staff with a knife, robbing the store of what is believed to be a significant amount of cash, and then fled the store, running out and jumping into the getaway car.

That car took off, last seen on Ringers Road.

“Detectives have returned to the scene and further investigations are taking place in the vicinity of the robbery [on Friday],” Chief Inspector O’Reilly said.

“And we would urge anyone with information on this incident, or who might have seen that car or anyone in that car, to contact police.”

The armed man is described as having a slim build and was wearing dark-coloured pants, a maroon-coloured top with white sleeves, black gloves and had his face covered.

Police said no one was injured in the hold-up and the robbery lasted a matter of minutes with CCTV showing the man jumping from the vehicle, running into the store, and then running back to the waiting car, which was parked out the front of the store.

A MAN is on the run after an armed robbery in Tamworth on Thursday afternoon.

The man was armed with what is believed to be a knife and jumped the counter of The Good Guys in the Longyard area about 4.15pm.

He stole a large quantity of cash and ran from the store, which is in the Longyard Homemaker’s Centre, on the corner of the New England Highway and Greg Norman Drive.

The offender was believed to be wearing a mask or some sort of face covering and the incident was captured on CCTV in the store.

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Police were alerted and were told the man fled into a dark coloured vehicle, last seen on Ringers Road.

Several police cars were seen patrolling the Longyard and South Tamworth area in search of the armed man.

A crime scene has been set-up at the store and police are appealing for any witnesses to come forward.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Tamworth police on 6768 2999 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.