By Christine de Kock
FOOTSCRAY police said it was all quiet on the Western front over the Christmas and New Year period.
Detective Acting Sergeant Peter Meath, of the armed robbery division EMBONA, said they did not come across anything out of the ordinary until last week.
Two men armed with meat cleavers threatened staff at a grocery store in South Road in Braybrook on the evening of 3 January.
The meat cleavers were placed at the throat and stomach of two store attendants.
The men stole cash and took off on foot down Duke Street.
It was one of four armed robberies to take place last week under similar circumstances.
The first occurred on 1 January, Ballarat Road in Deer Park, the second on 2 January at a bottle shop in Taylors Road, Delahey, and the third on the morning of 3 January at a chemist on Main Road West, St Albans.
The offenders were described as Asian in appearance, between the ages of 20 and 30 and with thin builds.
Executive director of operations at Western Health, Maree Wilson, said there was a slight increase in intakes at the Emergency Department of the Western Hospital over the holiday season.
“There was nothing directly linked to heat or alcohol consumption,” Ms Wilson said.
“Most of the incidents could be attributed to GP clinics closed over the holiday period. Most submissions were not serious.”
Figures show that on the week beginning 19 December, 620 people visited the emergency department with 186 people admitted.
On the week beginning 26 December, there were 699 visits with 200 people admitted.
The number of people who visited the emergency department on January 1, 2006, was 107 people, the same as last year.
The Emergency Department at Sunshine Hospital had the highest number of attendances on New Year’s Day than had been previously recorded at the site.
Two hundred and fifty people visited the department compared to 209 people last year.
If you want to report an incident, phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
