AN ARMED gang who held up a supermarket on Teesside this week may have robbed other stores and security vans in the area, a detective conceded today.

As highlighted in The Northern Echo, today, the robbery at the Tesco store in Parliament Road, on yesterday, was the fifth similar raid to be carried out in the region, since November.

Detective Inspector Chris Sadler spearheading the manhunt for Middlesbrough's machete armed robbers, said: "I am aware there have been other stores targeted in the area in the past year and we will be exploring all avenues open to us."

Officers re-visited Parliament Road today hoping to speak to witnesses who daily use the area and may have witnessed "unusual activity around this time yesterday."

Police are "particularly keen" to speak to a smartly dressed man who was seen in the area who is described as about five feet, seven inches tall, of medium build with black hair in a tidy style.

He was seen wearing a long sleeved white shirt and tie, dark trousers and black shoes.

Officers are still looking for a VW Golf displaying false registration plates, used in yesterday's raid.

DI Sadler said: "The silver VW Golf bearing the registration V131DTN which was used during the raid must have been in the surrounding area just prior to the incident.

"I am keen to know the exact route it took and I would ask that anyone, particularly those in the Parliament Road area and nearby streets contact police if they saw a VW Golf in the area between 7.10am and 7.30am."

Police say the robbers took a "significant" amount of money, contained in a number of cash boxes.

They will not disclose how much money was stolen, or how many robbers there were.

A police incident room has been set up and the number for anyone with information on the robbery is 01642 303226.