Swarcliffe Avenue Co-op: Four men appear in court charged over Leeds supermarket robbery

Officers were called shortly after 7am yesterday (Sunday, January 21), to a report of a robbery at the Co-op store in Swarcliffe Avenue, Leeds.

Five men were arrested from a nearby address a short time later.

Paul Middleton, aged 46, of no fixed address, Ashley Bates, aged 29, of Farndale View, Leeds, and Connor Cooper, aged 30, of Sherburn Square, Leeds, have all been charged with robbery in relation to yesterday’s incident.

Cooper was also charged with a robbery at the same store on January 6 and theft from the same store on January 14. 

Bates was also charged with possession of an offensive weapon in relation to yesterday’s robbery.

Charlie Rodgers, aged 20, of Southwood Gate, Leeds, was charged with two counts of handling stolen goods from the same Co-op in relation to yesterday’s robbery and one on January 6.

All four men appeared at Leeds Magistrates Court today. Middleton, Bates and Cooper were remanded in custody and Rodgers was expected to be.

The fifth man was released without charge.