A retail worker in Abergavenny has been left shaken following the robbery of a shop on Frogmore Street last Saturday, but praised the actions of police officers in the aftermath.

Gwent Police confirmed that they have made an arrest since the robbery of the Book-ish store last week.

“Officers received a call at roughly 4.45pm on Saturday reporting a burglary where cash had been taken,” a spokesperson said.

“A 50-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of burglary, he has been bailed pending further enquiries.”

The employee who was on shift at the time of the incident wanted to remain anonymous for the purpose of this article but told us about the ordeal that unfolded on the weekend.

“I felt uncomfortable as soon as he came in,” they said.

“I have seen him before, but I didn’t really want to engage. Then he asked for some water for the second time, so I went into the kitchen and when I came back out, he was over the till.”

“I didn’t want to aggravate the situation or confront the thief because there were still customers in the shop. I felt intimidated, ultimately.”

The shop has thanked the police for being professional on the day and for making an early arrest, which according to the employee we spoke to resulted in the safe return of the stolen cash to the store.

Local shopkeepers and independent businesses remain vigilant in the face of rising numbers of offences on the high street taking place, with almost 5,000 shoplifting offences registered last year alone in Gwent.

Police are also investigating a burglary which took place earlier this month at Llanfoist allotments, where a petrol strimmer was stolen from a shed.

The Book-ish staff member who spoke to the Chronicle said that despite the positive and vibrant community in the town, it is important to recognise that Abergavenny is not immune to these sorts of incidents.

“It is such a lovely place,” they said.

“Abergavenny is a lovely community as a whole and everybody is really nice. That is what makes it the biggest shock that something like this could happen.”

“You hear stories of shops having their stock and their earnings stolen in other places, but I didn’t think I would have a first-hand experience.”

“I do think there needs to be more awareness of this sort of crime and some more information on what business owners and employees can do to protect themselves in the event that this happens again.”

Book-ish has already installed CCTV at the premises to help its staff and customers feel safer, and in a town which relies on its independent businesses, the team at the much-loved book shop urge us to do all we can to protect them.

“On a personal level, it has made me more vulnerable,” the team member told us.

“But I hope I can use my experience to raise awareness for those with a similar job to me that they share their experiences and there can be a positive outcome.”