Do we just accept this?

County Gazette employee Joe Hewes, 33, was attacked in Priorswood Road at about 4am on Friday.

His attacker told him he had a knife and marched him to the cashpoint at the One-Stop shop where he was forced to empty £300 from his bank account.

Mr Hewes was walking back from a friend's house when the attack happened.

He said: "I bumped into a chap and started chatting to him, and then he just punched me straight in the nose.

"When I came to my wallet and phone had gone, and he was standing next to me.

"I said I needed my phone back and he said I needed to give him some money."

Mr Hewes was then forced to withdraw the money.

"He told me he had a knife, though I never saw one."

Mr Hewes said his attacker then hit him again, took the money, and left his phone and wallet before cycling off.

He said: It has put me off going out now."

The offender has been described as a male, 6ft tall, wearing a white hooded top.

* In the same week a man in his late 20s sustained body and head injuries after having his wallet stolen by three men at midnight on August 2-3 as he approached Tesco in Wellington Road.

Police say that while he was in his car in the car park, three men assaulted him and stole his wallet. He sustained bruising to his body and head and was taken to hospital. He is now recovering at home.

The offenders were said to be standing by a red car in the car park at the time of the offence and one has been described as a white man, of slim build, aged in his mid-20s, wearing a plain coloured T-shirt.

Another suspect was also a white man, of slim build, aged in his mid-20s, with short ginger hair and wearing a yellow hooded top and dark trousers.

There is no description of the third man, who remained in the red car during the offence.

Anyone who witnessed either of these incidents should contact Taunton CID on 0845-4567000 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555111.

* In a third and separate incident, police were called to the The Obridge, the Brewer's Fayre restaurant on Priorswood Road, at 11.50pm on Saturday after reports of an armed robbery.

Police chased a Rover car along the A38 to Bridgwater where suspects got out at York Road, and the driver made off.

A 17-year-old girl, who was in the car was arrested on suspicion of robbery and bailed pending police enquiries.

Ashley Milton, 27, of Edinburgh Road, Bridgwater, was arrested on Monday and charged with robbery, possession of a class A drug, dangerous driving, driving without insurance or a licence and money laundering.

He appeared before Sedgemoor Magistrates on Tuesday.

*Police say the three incidents are not thought to be linked.

* According to police, the Somerset East sector, which includes Taunton, is still one of the safest places to live.

A police spokesman said there had been nine incidents of robbery this year in Taunton, an increase of three on this time last year. Across the district, there have been 17 incidents of robbery - three more than last year.

The spokesman said: "Crime overall in Taunton is down. There have been 78 fewer reported victims of crime this year.

"Criminal damage, theft from motor vehicles and assault is down on last year and we are working to reduce things further.

"In terms of robbery, it is rare in Taunton and Somerset East remains one of the safest places to live."

* Insp Roger Tolley, sector inspector for Somerset East, said: "It's an issue that is a really serious one for the whole of the community, not least the victims of any violent crime and one that features as a priority for the whole constabulary.

"It's classed as a critical incident, which means all the resources are put in to helping the victim and to trace the people responsible.

"The fact we have had a small increase numerically, doesn't devalue the effects on the victim.

"From June-July there was just one more robbery than last year, from nine to ten.

"When you consider the size of Taunton Deane itself, although they are high profile incidents, the chances of being a victim are very low.

"These crimes are spontaneous, they are not pre-planned and they are usually committed by people who have an immediate need for money."

* Francis Cornis, Taunton Town Centre manager said: "I don't want to down-play the seriousness of these crimes or the effect they have on the unfortunate people who suffer from them but I think the general perception is that Taunton and particularly the centre of Taunton remains relatively safe for ordinary people.

"Taunton is doing rather more than other towns to tackle this in a sensible and imaginative way."

* Taunton MP Jeremy Browne said: "These three incidents are all extremely worrying and I hope they are not an indication of a greater prevalence of serious crime in Taunton.

"People express concern to me about the behaviour in the town centre at night but there is clearly a difference between anti-socialism and violent crime.

"While the former is irritating and needs to be tackled, the latter is a very serious problem for Taunton if it generates a foothold.

"The police need to do everything possible to prevent crimes happening in Taunton. Most people would normally associate this more with big cities like Bristol."

* Tell us what you think - is Taunton dangerous at night? You can use the Comment box below or join our forums.