POLICE have arrested a man in connection with Sunday’s attempted armed robbery. The 28-year-old was detained yesterday evening and is helping with enquiries.

The arrest came at the end of a day when the investigation into the crime at the garage shop adjoining Marks and Spencer’s Simply Food store at Les Merriennes, St Martin’s, had been gathering pace.

Officers had been following up several phone calls from people who were in the area at the time.

A female attendant was allegedly threatened with a knife before her attacker left in a stolen grey Ford Fiesta, registration 31031.

That had been taken from the Odeon car park, St Peter Port, between 10 and 11.30pm on Saturday.

Police are keen to speak to youths who were skateboarding in the area that evening.

Earlier there had been a call for harsh punishments as the best way of deterring people from carrying out crimes of this sort.

‘I hope that when this person is eventually caught and convicted, the courts take a harsh view,’ said Guernsey Motor Trades Association chairman Dave Beausire

‘To steal a car and use a lethal weapon to scare the life out of someone who was just doing their job is appalling.

‘We don’t want any probation orders, let them get the punishment they deserve. I think they should be locked up for 10 years.’

Mr Beausire would also like to see filling station shops kept free from protective bars and security screens.

He said he did not want to see Guernsey go the same way as the UK by installing security bars at shop windows.

‘I remember a time when you used to be able to deal face to face with bank cashiers, but now you have to do it through a protective screen. Why should the majority of innocent people pay for the idiocy of a few?’ he said.

Police have spoken about the bravery of the female shop attendant who refused to co-operate with the armed man.

She followed him onto the forecourt and alerted police after he drove off.

Last year several shops were robbed at knifepoint, including Union Street Stores, St Peter Port.

The general store lost £732 in an armed robbery. Police have never caught the person who did it.

Proprietor Dean Guille said small businesses were a lot easier for thieves to target as they lacked the sophisticated security systems of larger ones.

‘Since the robbery, we close earlier and there are at least two members of staff present at any time,’ he said.

* Police have also arrested a 20-year-old man in relation to stealing a car.