Extra police patrols have been put in place after a Co-op store was robbed for the third time in 13 months.

Co-op stores in Broadway, Silver End and Spa Road, Witham were robbed at knifepoint by two men on Friday night.

The Broadway store was also robbed in January and May last year, with the Spa Road store robbed in August.

A spokesman for the East of England Co-op said: “All of our branches are monitored 24/7 by our own in-house security team, which ensures assistance arrives as quickly as possible.

“We have also recently increased our in-store security presence in many of our stores along with other security measures.

“Despite these steps, incidents like this are very difficult to prevent.

“Like many businesses, we are concerned about the rise in antisocial behaviour, burglaries and robberies.

“We have recently met with senior police officers in our region to raise our concerns and encourage them to do more to reduce incidents like this.”

Chief Insp Craig Carrington, the district commander for Braintree, explained extra patrols have been put on.

He said: “We continue to work in partnership with colleagues and people at the Co-op.

“We strive to bring the offenders to justice.”

Co-op stores have suffered a large number of robberies and ram raids during the past year.

Here is a full list of robberies, not including ram raids: 

• Four men went into the Chelmsford Star Co-op in Church Street, Bocking, at about 7.50pm on December 16, 2016, armed with a crowbar, monkey wrench, and screwdriver.

• An armed robbery took place at the Co-op in Abels Road, Halstead, at around 8pm on January 17, 2017.

Staff were forced to open the office safe and a four figure sum of cash was stolen.

• The Co-op in Broadway was raided by three men on January 23, 2017 and they stole thousands of pounds.

•The Co-op in Broadway, Silver End, was robbed shortly before 10am on May 14. Two men armed with a baseball bat demanded cash from two female members of staff. They fled with nothing.

• On July 5 two masked men robbed the Co-op store in Hallett Road, Dunmow.

One man climbed over the counter and demanded money while the other threatened staff with a hammer. They made off with thousands.

• On July 13 the Co-op store in Church Street, Bocking, was robbed by two men, one was armed with a hammer. They demanded cash and left on foot with hundreds of pounds.

• Officers were called to the Co-op in Spa Road, Witham, shortly after 9.30pm on August 13.

Two men with knives entered the store and demanded cash. They left on foot after stealing money from the till.

•The Earls Colne Co-op store was robbed on November 25.

A masked man armed with a hammer threatened staff and stole cash from a village store