One man may have carried out three Cork robberies at weekend

A man responsible for two armed robberies in Cork at the weekend may have returned and committed a third robbery less than 24 hours later, according to gardaí.

The armed robberies took place at filling stations in Bishopstown in Cork city and Mallow in North Cork early on Saturday morning.

He may also have been responsible for a third hold up when staff at a filling station in Midleton in East Cork were robbed early on Sunday morning.

A man wearing a balaclava and armed with a handgun approached staff at the hatch at the Topaz garage on the Whitegate Road in Middleton around 12.30am on Sunday morning.

The man threatened staff who handed over a small amount of cash and the man made his getaway in a dark coloured car which he had parked near the forecourt.

The third robbery took place at the Topaz filling station on the Limerick Road in Mallow at around 1am on Saturday morning.

The man, who was wearing a balaclava and armed with a handgun, walked into the filling station and ordered staff to hand over cash before fleeing on foot.

Gardaí believe that the man had a car hidden nearby and later around 4.45am, a man matching the description of the Mallow thief, robbed a filling station in Cork city.

The raider approached a staff member at the Amber filling station on the Bandon Road in Bishopstown and again threatened them at gunpoint before making off with some cash.

The man fled on foot but as in the Mallow filling station robbery, he may have had a car hidden nearby which he used to make his getaway.

No shots were fired in any of the robberies and no one was injured but it’s understood the staff members on duty in all premises were shaken by events.

Anyone who saw any suspicious activity close to any three of the robberies is asked to contact gardaí on 021-4541012.