Additional high visibility patrols have been put in place following a robbery which took place in the Summerhill Court area of Aberdeen yesterday.
Two masked raiders went into the William Hill shop with their faces covered just after 11.00am and stole more than £100 in cash before fleeing the scene.
They were described as being in their late twenties.
In addition to extra patrols in the surrounding areas, shops and other retailers are also being visited to ensure they have appropriate security measures already in place.
House-to-house inquiries are also ongoing with extensive CCTV work.
Another similar incident was reported at Coral Bookmaker on Foresterhill Road at around 6.45pm on Monday.
Detective Chief Inspector Lorna Ferguson said: “Let me stress once again that incidents of this nature are actually very rare in the city. It is extremely disappointing that two have taken place in the same week but let me be clear that when crimes like this occur, every effort is made to trace those responsible.
“We are following a positive line of inquiry in relation to both robberies and extensive inquiries were carried out overnight in relation to this which continue today.
“I would ask that retailers be aware of their security procedures – making your business secure decreases the potential for robbery and increases the safety of the business, your staff and your customers.
“Anyone with information about either incident is asked to contact police on 101 quoting ref. no. 1086 of Oct 17.”