A spate of armed robberies in Northland has the police worried and they say it's sheer luck no-one's been killed.
There have been six hold-ups in the past three weeks - three of them this week in Whangarei.
Police say a man pointed a gun at the shopkeeper in the Vege Twins store on Kamo Road about 7pm on Wednesday and demanded money from the till. He was given the cash and left.
A shopkeeper was bashed on the head with a hammer when three men robbed a takeaway shop in nearby Otangarei on Monday night.
And the Onerahi PostShop was robbed earlier in the day by a man wielding a fake pistol.
Detective Sergeant Shane Pilmer says the Otangarei attack could have proved fatal.
He says the robberies may be connected and anyone who sees suspicious behaviour in a shop or bank should call 111 immediately.
There have also been armed robberies in Ruakaka and Kaikohe.
So far one man has been arrested, for the Kaikohe liquor store robbery.
