Councillor calls for more police resources after suspected robbery

A 33-year-old man has been arrested after a suspected robbery at the Asda Express Petrol Station in Prudhoe

15:02, 27 Apr 2026Updated 15:03, 27 Apr 2026

A Northumberland councillor has called for more police resources following a suspected robbery which saw a petrol station cordoned off in an area which usually sees low-levels of crime. Officers were called to the Asda Express on Front Street, Prudhoe, on Sunday morning.

Three police officers were spotted speaking with Asda employees on the forecourt within a cordon which was in place for around two hours. A member of staff told ChronicleLive that they were “left shaken”, but added that no-one was injured as a result of what happened.

A 33-year-old man has since been arrested, Northumbria Police confirmed on Monday, following reports that a man had entered the store with a bladed article before taking money from the till.

Following the incident, Northumberland County Council’s cabinet member for public safety, Coun Gordon Stewart told ChronicleLive more resources are needed in the region. He said: “Prudhoe has low levels of crime and anti social behaviour and a strong community spirit.

“I ask that residents report all incidents to the Police as we need to keep pressing the PCC to allocate more resources to Northumberland where it is clear there is still a shortfall of officers.

“This has been a very upsetting crime and we wish the staff well. Any information should be passed to the Police or Crimestoppers.”

In December 2025, Coun Gordon Stewart urged for funding to continue police crackdown on anti-social behaviour in North East.

Northumbria Police declined to comment on Coun Stewart’s comments, but said of the incident: “Just before 7.45am yesterday (Sunday), we received a report of robbery at a premises on Front Street in Prudhoe. It was reported that a man has entered the store – believed to be in possession of a bladed article – before stealing an amount of money from the till.

“No-one sustained any injuries, however staff involved were left shaken.

“A man aged 33 has been arrested in connection with the incident and is currently in police custody. Officers were also able to recover the weapon suspected to have been used.

“Enquiries into the report are ongoing and anyone with information should send us a DM on social media or use the live chat and report forms on our Force website. If you aren’t able to make contact via the above ways, call 101.”

Did you know you can make ChronicleLive a preferred source of North East news in Google, which will mean you get more of our breaking news, exclusives, and must-read stories straight away? Here’s more information about what this means and how to do it – you can also do it straight away by clicking here.

Our ChronicleLive Daily newsletter is free. You can sign up to receive it here. It will keep you up to date with all the latest breaking news and top stories from the North East.