Man remanded over shop robbery

A man has today been remanded in custody charged with robbing a Dudley supermarket of £5,000 worth of cigarettes and cash.

Richard Howell, aged 34, of Carder Crescent, Bilston, appeared at Dudley Magistrates Court this morning accused of the robbery, which took place at the Co-op store in Overfield Road on the Russells Hall Estate at 8.40pm on Monday.

He was remanded in custody to appear at Wolverhampton Crown Court on March 2, next year for a plea and directions hearing.

There was no indication of plea.

In a separate incident in June this year thieves tried to smash their way into the store.

However they did not manage to steal anything as they triggered the security system filling the store with smoke.