POLICE have been issuing staff at Monmouthshire stores with personal attack alarms following the two armed robberies in Usk last month.

The post office and Spar shop, both on Bridge Street, were targeted by armed raiders a month ago.

Now police have stepped up patrols in the town and have been visiting post offices and small stores in the Usk area to give security advice.

Superintendent Jon Burley, from Gwent police, said: "We have visited many commercial premises within Monmouthshire and have been supplying personal attack alarms free of charge for staff.

"We have increased high-visibility patrols in the town and are opening Usk police station for longer when resources allow."

He said the personal attack alarms were being given to individual staff and being placed in the stores themselves for general use.

Supt Burley said police community support officers (PCSOs) were also being drafted into the town to increase the uniformed presence on the streets.

PCSOs have lesser powers than regular officers but can detain people until the arrival of police.

The raiders stole between £1,500 and £2,000 from the Usk post office raid on November 4.

Two weeks later, on the evening of November 18, three men armed with a gun, baseball bat and knife took around £200 from the Spar.

Detectives now believe the Usk robberies are linked to a series of similar raids across South Wales over the past few months.

Have-a-go-hero Anthony Baker, from Usk, struggled with one of the raiders outside the Spar and the Walther air pistol was dropped.

Thirty-two-year-old Mr Baker, a retained firefighter, received a gash to the head as a result.

Supt Burley urged residents not to tackle the armed raiders if they struck again as they were not afraid to use their weapons when making their escape.