A GROUP of masked men burst into a shop and demanded money during a robbery in Southampton.

The three men also assaulted a woman as she tried to stop them - causing injuries to her face.

The incident took place at the Londis store on Oaktree Road, Bitterne Park, in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Police were called at 6.19am when three men wearing masks entered the store and demanded money.

A witness from The Hop Inn, opposite the store, said they were woken up by their dogs barking at around 6.20am and heard shouting coming from across the street.

The group took money from the safe and left the scene in the direction of Copsewood Road in a K-reg black Audi.

During the incident, the store manager was also assaulted after confronting the group.

She suffered injuries to her face as she was forced into the back office.

Londis store supervisor Jenny Gregg said: “I wasn’t here when the raid happened but I know it happened around 5 or 6 o’clock in the morning.

“The manager was forced to go into the back office by a group of people.”

She added: “It was a shock.

“Nothing like this normally happens.

“We have had a few robberies but nothing like this.

“I know that there was a shop up the road that had some problems not too long ago.”

A 19-year-old man from Southampton was arrested on suspicion of assault and robbery.

He has since been released but remains under investigation.

Enquiries are ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to get in touch with police by calling 101.

The incident follows crowbar-wielding robbers attacking a post office in Bishopstoke.

The two men entered the building on Thursday, September 27, after kicking in the front door, before threatening the owner with a crowbar after he challenged them.

The pair then filled a ‘Hippo’ bag with cigarettes.

Officers say they fled on a scrambler-type motorbike.

On Saturday, September 29, employee was struck in the head during a raid by three robbers on a Co-Op store.

One of the robbers forced a staff member to open a safe of the store on in North Baddesley. , before stealing all of the cash inside.

Police said the two members of staff were not injured but were left extremely distressed by the incident.

The attacks come weeks after a pharmacy was raided by an attacker holding ‘a gun’.

Lloyds Pharmacy on Wessex Road on the morning of September 12.

The robber is said to have threatened a member of staff at the pharmacy.