Local shop owners have been speaking out following a spate of robberies around North Belfast in recent weeks.
The most recent incidents - around the areas of the lower Antrim Road, Ligoneil, Oldpark and Cavehill - are unprecedented, with shop owners telling Belfast Live these incidents aren't common in this area.
On January 30 at around 8.20pm, a man entered the Spar on the Cavehill Road where he allegedly pointed a knife at a staff member's stomach during a robbery.
Read more: Man produces knife and demands money from till at North Belfast shop
It's reported that the man demanded money, before making of with a sum, running in the direction of the city.
Manager Jenny Reilly said the incident has left her staff feeling "more weary" when working evening shifts, and that she is often "worrying about them" if she's not on shift.
"Everybody in here is working really hard, and has been working so hard during the pandemic. Then somebody's just going around with a knife terrorising people - it's not fair," Jenny added.
"It's happening far too often. The police have been patrolling the area, and have been showing that they're there to support us.
"But you're always on the lookout. Sometimes you're unfortunately not doing the work you're meant to be doing in here because you're just watching the door scared."
Shop owner, Norman Porter, added that in the 40 years he's been behind the helm at the Cavehill Spar, such incidents have occurred before but not for a long time.
He said they're trying to take as many precautions as they can to keep staff members and customers safe.
Norman continued: "You're trying to take as many precautions as possible - the CCTV footage and things to create obstacles in their way if you can, and that's very difficult.
"The scary thing is it can deter staff from working for you as well, particularly when you have young staff members, as their parents can be concerned which we understand too, so we try to build in as many safeguards as possible.
"You're doing your job then suddenly this happens and it takes people completely unaware. You don't know if it's a drunk person, somebody on drugs, or a disgruntled customer, then suddenly that has happened.
"It seems to take forever when it's happened to you, but in reality it's only a couple of minutes and then they're gone. Staff have to think about themselves and their safety first of all - everything else can be replaced."
Norman said the shop has upwards of 30 CCTV cameras on site, and so they're hoping the man behind the incident on January 30 can be caught sooner rather than later.
"I have to say the police have been very pro-active, they've been on the ground, and coming in to tell us they'll be about the area patrolling," he added.
"We're community based, we know our customers, and we're providing a community service. We're trying to look after the customers and the wider business.
"We just put our hands with the police and hope that they're lucky, and he's unlucky."
Since January 27, there have been at least seven police reports of robberies or attempted robberies of shops in the North Belfast area.
On March 5, a man entered a pharmacy on the Antrim Road armed with a hammer and knife. The alleged attacker used a hammer to break through the shop's plastic Covid protection screen, before a "scuffle" ensued with pharmacist Conor McAreavey at Teague's Pharmacy.
Mr McAreavey was stabbed in the hand before the man fled in the direction of Hillman Street.
On March 8, a 36-year-old man appeared in court accused of aggravated burglary, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and two counts of possessing an offensive weapon in public.
Following the incident, Mr McAreavey told BBC News NI he was "very lucky" not to suffer tendon damage.
"We're here on a Saturday providing a service to the community and it's something that has to stop," he continued.
"It's been happening all over North Belfast for the last couple of weeks and it's just unacceptable. We are at the frontline here, we're all exhausted after two years of Covid and now as things open up to have this start to happen again to us is just unacceptable and very worrying for the staff."
On February 20, two shop workers were threatened with a knife in Saunder's Spar on the Antrim Road, next door to the pharmacy.
CCTV of the incident shows a man in a blue Under Armour hoodie, dark jeans and black Adidas trainers, enter the store before producing a knife and threatening staff. After leaving the store with a sum of money he fled in the direction of Hillman Street.
As three staff members were working at the Vivo Essentials shop on the Crumlin Road in Ligoneil on March 9, a man entered just before 5pm and demanded money at knifepoint from a staff member at the till.
PSNI Detective Sergeant Ash added: "The man left empty-handed, making off on foot in the direction of Legmail Street, towards the city centre.
“The male is described as wearing a dark red jacket with white stripes on the shoulders, orange ‘hi-vis’ trousers with reflective stripes and a dark coloured hat. His face was also covered.
“Thankfully, no injuries were reported by any staff members in the shop at the time, however, this was a terrifying incident for them."
The shop's manager told Belfast Live that the incident had left staff "terrified." They added: "There were three staff members here at the time, and nobody got injured which is the most important thing.
"You're here trying to provide a service to the local community, and 99% of the community is fine, it's the minority that's causing trouble.
"One of those girls could have been stabbed or killed, and for what? For £100 out of the till? The sooner the police get him the better."
In an appeal issued on March 4, the PSNI said there have been three armed robberies reported over a three-week period in the Cavehill Road and Antrim Road areas “involving a masked male suspect who, on each occasion, has threatened sales assistants with a knife before demanding and fleeing with money from the till”.
Detective Inspector Kyle Corrigan said: “These are sinister and terrifying thefts from local shops, staffed by local people providing a valued service to their communities."
If you have any information on any incidents, you can submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/.
You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/
Read more: Man armed with knife robs off licence in North Belfast
Read more: Watch: Shop workers threatened with a knife during North Belfast robbery
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