Police hunt two armed robbers in east Belfast

POLICE used a sniffer dog and a helicopter to help track armed robbers who held up an off licence in east Belfast.

Two masked men – armed with suspected handguns – threatened staff at an off license on the Woodstock Road at 8.30pm on Thursday night.

They made off with a quantity of alcohol and a sum of cash.

A short time later, police received a report that the robbers had been spotted entering a house in the Ravenhill area.

Police sealed off Ravenhill Avenue while they conducted investigations along with door to door enquiries.

A sniffer dog was brought in to try and pick up their scent while overhead the PSNI’s ‘hawkeye’ helicopter hovered.

Nothing untoward was found and Ravenhill Avenue was reopened shortly after 11pm.

Anyone who witnessed the robbery or noticed any unusual activity in the area of Ravenhill Avenue or Rosebury Gardens are asked to contact police on 0845 600 8000.