Police are appealing for information following the armed hold up of a service station at Rutherford yesterday.

Just after 5am (Wednesday 2 September 2015), a young man walked into the service station on the New England Highway and approached the console attendant for cigarettes.

The 23-year-old attendant refused to sell the cigarettes when the young man failed to provide age identification.

The young man then purchased chocolates and again asked the attendant to purchase cigarettes.

When the attendant again refused, the young man produced what appeared to be a small handgun and pistol-whipped the attendant.

The young man again demanded cigarettes and picked up a hand-held EFTPOS machine from the counter and again assaulted the attendant on the side of his head.

The attendant left the counter area and went into a back office. The young man took some chocolates and a drink from the store and was last seen walking west along the New England Highway towards Fourth Avenue.

Officers from Maitland Police Station were notified of the incident and established a crime scene at the store.

Following investigations, detectives would like to speak with a young man who may be able to assist them with inquiries.

He is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 16 to 19-years-old, 170 to 180cm tall with a skinny build.

He was last seen wearing a dark blue / light blue coloured hooded jacket with the hood pulled over his head and long khaki coloured pants.

The attendant was not injured during the incident.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has information on the identity or whereabouts of the young man, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Police are urging anyone with information in relation to these incidents to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au/ Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. We remind people they should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Police are investigating the armed robbery of a supermarket in Cardiff last night.

About 7.40pm (Wednesday 2 September 2015), a man entered the store armed with a shotgun and threatened an attendant, demanding cash.

The attendant complied with the man’s demands and handed over an amount of cash before the man fled. The attendant was not injured during the incident.

The man was last seen entering the passenger side of a white four door sedan in the parking lot before fleeing. The driver of the car was not further described.

Police from Lake Macquarie Local Area Command were notified and established a crime scene.

A search was unable locate the man or car, and officers are now appealing for anyone with information about the robbery or the identity of the man to come forward.

The man is described as being about 190cm tall with a skinny build.

He was last seen wearing a long-sleeve hooded jacket, jeans, and joggers and carrying a gun described as a double-barrel sawed-off shotgun.

A woman will reappear in court next month after she was charged in relation to a crash that killed a two-year-old girl and left her 11-month-old brother with critical injuries.

About 7pm (Monday 17 August 2015), a woman was driving her sedan northbound on the New England Highway, about 4km north of Willow Tree, when the vehicle rolled, landing down an embankment off the side of the road.

A passer-by stopped and assisted, locating a two-year-old child deceased, and an 11-month-old boy suffering critical injuries.

Police from Oxley and Hunter Valley Local Area Command’s attended the scene and co-ordinated a response with the assistance of NSW Ambulance, Rural Fire Service, VRA, and Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

The infant was flown to John Hunter Hospital for further treatment and has since been transferred to Newcastle Children’s Hospital. The woman was taken to Tamworth Base Hospital and was later released.

Today (Tuesday 1 September 2015), Crash Investigators from Tamworth charged a 20–year-old woman with dangerous driving occasioning death, dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, negligent driving occasioning death, negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, drive whilst disqualified and drive with a passenger between 6 months and 4 years unrestrained as prescribed.

She appeared before Newcastle Local Court today where she was granted conditional bail prior to her next court appearance at Newcastle Local Court on 28 October 2015.