Young man who attempted to rob four Whanganui stores with a wrench appears in youth court

A young man appeared before Whanganui Youth Court on four charges of demanding to steal. Photo / Bevan Conley

A young man has appeared before the Whanganui Youth Court on four charges in relation to the spate of attempted robberies that took place on a Monday night earlier in the month.

Police received reports of the young man, who they said was armed with a wrench, appearing at two liquor stores, a takeaway shop and a convenience store on Jones Street, Somme Parade, and Duncan Street.

The offences took place between 5.30pm and 6.50pm on Monday, July 18.

There was a potential the young man was going to commit a fifth offence, police say, but "extra security measures" managed to stop that from happening.

No one was injured and nothing was taken by the offender in the attempted robberies.

Police said the young man's offending would have been terrifying for the shop staff involved and were happy to hold him accountable for making others in the community feel unsafe.

"The youth has been referred to Youth Justice who will determine the appropriate course of action," the police statement said.