A man has been arrested following an attempted robbery in Copthorne.

Shortly after 6pm on Saturday a man reportedly demanded money from staff at the Kwik Mart convenience store in Copthorne Bank. The would-be thief fled empty handed after staff called for help and members of the public detained a man nearby until officers arrived on the scene.

Chef Nayib Pailos, aged 33, was later charged with assault with intent to commit robbery and possession of a bladed article in public. He appeared before Brighton Magistrates’ Court yesterday and was remanded in custody until the 13th of July.

Residents are being warned to be on their guard after scammers stole almost £60,000 in courier frauds in Surrey over the last two weeks.

Since the first of June, police have received 20 reports of frauds where criminals impersonate an official from the police or the victim’s bank. The scammers claim the victim’s credit card had been stolen and that an investigation is underway and proceed to ask for details of the card, or offer to send a courier to pick it up.

Only six of the reported 20 scams were successful, but a total of £58,705 has been stolen in Surrey this month, with one victim losing £22,000.

Advice on avoiding scams can be found on the Surrey police website.

Demand across England’s high streets, retail parks and shopping centres have surged, as some shops reopened after a three-month lockdown.

There were long queues at places including Primark and Sports Direct although numbers were still far below the same time last year.

All shops in England are now allowed to open, with retailers having to introduce safety measures, such as plastic till screens and markings on the floor.

Police investigating the sexual assault of a woman in Priory Park, Reigate last Tuesday, are keen to speak to a couple who were in the area.

It’s thought the couple may have spoken with both the victim and the suspect in the park at the same time.

The incident happened between 4.30 and 6.30 in the afternoon and are asked to come forward to help with the investigation.