It is the third incident of this kind in the capital this month and although detectives are keeping an open mind, there is a strong possibility that they are linked.

The most recent incident happened around 10.35pm at Costcutter, Whitchurch Road, on Thursday, July 21.

The suspects are described as four black or mixed race men wearing dark clothing.

A male shop worker required around 20 stitches for head injuries inflicted during the incident where a quantity of cash and packets of 10 Lambert and Butler cigarettes were stolen.

They were armed with what appeared to be a black handgun.

Just before leaving the shop one of the robbers removed his mask and said to the worker “Now you can call the police”.

Earlier incidents were at Spar, Clearwater Way, Lakeside, on Wednesday, July 6 at 10.20pm and at Spar, Allensbank Road, on Thursday, July 14 at 9.40pm.

Detective Inspector Shane Ahmed, from Cardiff Bay CID, who is leading the investigation into all three incidents, said: “Due to the similarities of locations, times, descriptions and the nature of the offences there is a strong possibility these incidents are linked but we are keeping an open mind.

“A full investigation is on-going and numerous lines of enquiry are being pursued including CCTV, house to house, intelligence and forensic work.

“We believe the men responsible for these robberies have local connections and urge the public to come forward with information as to their identities.

“Cardiff is a safe city and we will not tolerate violence being used against our shop workers who provide a valued service to their communities.

Detectives are particularly keen to hear from anyone who may have seen a silver Ford Focus or Fiesta parked in Canada Road on the night of Thursday, July 21, believed to be a getaway car used by the suspects.

They are also appealing for a potential key witness to come forward. Around the time of the incident, a white man wearing a green T-shirt and knee length shorts was seen on CCTV entering the Panama Tandorri Restaurant on Whitchurch.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Cardiff Bay CID on 02920 527 420 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Become a history detective and join the Holiday History Club at Cardiff Castle where children can delve a bit deeper into the past.  Each session will cover a particular period with themed games, trails and craft activities.  Amongst the activities planned will be the chance to dress up as a Roman soldier, see what life was like as medieval knight, help with some household Victorian chores or visit the Castle’s Wartime Shelters for a taste of life on the Home Front.  Entertaining, informative and great fun, these activities will make the summer fly past:

July 28 – Roman

Aug 4 – Medieval

Aug 11 – Tudor

Aug 18 – Victorian

Aug 25 – WWII – Home Front

All sessions start at 10.30am and run until 1pm.  Please note anyone arriving late may miss part or all of an activity.

Children can choose to join the Holiday Club for just one day or attend every week, but places must be booked in advance as numbers are limited.

Tickets:  £10 per session per child.  (One free adult place for up to 3 child tickets)    Please note children do need to be accompanied by an adult.  Not suitable for under 7s

For tickets call: 029 2087 8100

Love Parks Week is a national campaign which supports and celebrates parks and green spaces and aims to encourage people to use their local parks and discover what they have on offer.

In support of the national campaign, Cardiff Council is running a fun and exciting programme of events to appeal to all the family, taking place at a number of the city’s parks.

Many of the events are free and include wildlife trails, art activities and games for children, a bat discovery walk and a heritage walk to learn about the history of one of the largest Victorian cemeteries in Britain.

Executive Member for Sport, Leisure and Culture, Cllr Nigel Howells said: “We are extremely fortunate that Cardiff boasts more than 56 formal parks and gardens across the city, seven of which are proud winners of the prestigious Green Flag Award.

“They are free resources that are vital in promoting healthy, active and happy communities.

“Our green spaces are beautiful and I encourage people to support Love Parks Week and learn what your local park has to offer.”

Love Parks Week is organised by parks charity GreenSpace. Founded in 2006, the campaign has grown steadily and is now established as a major event that is celebrated in parks across the country. Each year hundreds of events take place enabling thousands of people to get out and enjoy their parks and help put forward the case for reinvestment.

For more information about Love Parks Week please visit www.loveparksweek.org.uk and to learn more about events in Cardiff parks please visit www.cardiff.gov.uk/parks

Officers from the Neighbourhood Learning team will be joining shoppers on Queen Street on Saturday, July 16 to promote the new prospectus that is packed full of courses for adults covering computer training, languages, arts and crafts and much, much more, suitable for all ages and abilities at a variety of centres throughout the city.

There’s also the chance for visitors to Central Market and Central Library (9.30am to 3.30pm) to find out what’s on offer, speak to the team about the learning opportunities and pick up a free copy of the guide.

The Council has a range of courses available for people who are completely new to learning and want to broaden their horizons or for learners who want to build on skills or continue with hobbies they have pursued before.

Enrolment for courses, which start in September, opens on Monday, July 18 so there’s never been a better time to find a course that will inspire you to learn.

For those not out and about in the city centre on Saturday, On Course can be downloaded by visiting www.cardiff.gov.uk/learn  or from their nearest Neighbourhood Learning Centre. Alternatively, email adultlearningquery@cardiff.gov.uk

Executive Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, Cllr Freda Salway, said: “There’s something to suit all ages and abilities in this year’s On Course guide. Saturday will be an opportunity for visitors to the city centre to get some advice on courses they are considering and whet their appetites for something new.”

A new multi-sport event for young children, “Gemau Cymru “, took place in Cardiff between 8 – 10th July 2011.  This event showcased nine different, competitive sports namely Athletics, Gymnastics, Swimming and Canoeing. Cardiff was chosen as the ideal setting for the first ever Gemau Cymru, and captured the spirit of the London 2012 Games whilst delivering a lasting sporting  legacy for Wales.

During this event, CIWW  was presented with a plaque to confirm the centre as a British Canoe Union and Canoe Wales High Performance Centre.

CIWW becomes one of only four elite centres across the UK, with only one other located in Wales.  This is a second award for CIWW since being voted ‘Best Visitor Experience’ in Wales just 6 months after opening.

Accepting the award, Councillor Nigel Howells, Executive Member for Sport, Leisure and Culture said:

“As a Capital for Sport, Cardiff Council recognises the important role sport plays in enriching people’s lives. During the Gemau Cyrmu event, many schools and youth groups have been encouraged to participate in a variety of sports, using the Capital’s exceptional facilities as a showcase for young talent.

“I was both proud and privileged to accept the British Canoe Union award on behalf of Cardiff International White Water.  Cardiff, as well as hosting pre-games training camps and being a venue for Olympic football, is positively encouraging children and young people to partake and enjoy sport, and we look forward to taking an active role in the 2012 Olympics.”

Sport in the Park aims to promote a series of sport and leisure opportunities whist signposting adults and children to clubs and groups where they can take up sport and activities in their local community.

There will be a huge choice of traditional and non-traditional sports for people to have a go at, including cricket, basketball, freestyle football, BMX and street-dance.

The action packed day will also showcase local sports clubs and leisure providers, making local people aware of the facilities and sports opportunities that they have access to in their local community.

The event has been organised by the Sport.Cardiff 5X60 sports development team.

The 5X60 initiative aims to make young people in Cardiff more active by taking part in 60 minutes of exercise five times a week.

It comprises a variety of different activities from which the children choose what they want to participate in. Activities include competitive, team and individual sports as well recreational activities such as climbing, dance and swimming.

Executive Member for Sport, Leisure and Culture, Cllr Nigel Howells said: “This unique event is set to inspire people of all ages to embrace sport and leisure activities whilst strengthening and supporting local clubs.
“Sport and leisure are essential in maintaining healthy and active lifestyles and what better place to discover what Cardiff has to offer than in the outdoor setting of one of the city’s most beautiful and popular parks.”

John Barrowman adopted by Cardiff Dogs Home

Cardiff Dogs Home is looking for volunteers to form a ‘Friends of Cardiff Dogs Home’ group to bring together people who share a passion for improving dog welfare.

The Dogs Home is holding its first meeting on Thursday 14 July 2011 at 7pm in Committee Room 3 at County Hall. Anyone who feels they would like to get involved and become a ‘friend’ of the Dogs Home, is welcome to attend.

Members of the new group will support the Dogs Home in improving the visitor experience for those looking to re-home a dog from Cardiff Dogs Home.  They will also promote responsible dog ownership and highlight the work done by the Dogs Home which aims to find the best possible home for each dog in its care.

There are currently 40 dogs living at the Dogs Home, and one of the priorities for this year is raising money to fund a project to modernise the kennels which have been in place since the Home was built nearly 20 years ago.  The ‘Friends of Cardiff Dogs Home’ will help fundraise and support this initiative. Other key priorities for the group will include promoting responsible dog ownership at community events and distributing information about re-homing and micro-chipping dogs.

Cllr Margaret Jones, Executive Member for the Environment said: “The Cardiff Dogs Home looks after more than 1200 dogs a year, and is really committed to caring for all of the dogs in its care. I would urge anyone who has an interest in the welfare of the stray dogs of Cardiff and the work that goes into finding them new homes to attend the meeting and think about joining the ‘Friends of Cardiff Dogs Home’ group. There are many ways to support Cardiff Dogs’ Home. Whether you are able to volunteer your time or make donations, no matter what you do, it all helps.”

If you are unable to attend the meeting on July 14 and would like to be involved or require further information then please contact Sarah Brown on 2087 1146 sbrown@cardiff.gov.uk or the Dogs Home on 2071 1243.

Novak Djokovic celebrated his first Wimbledon title after beating Rafael Nadal in an exciting centre court clash and in the women’s final Petra Kvitova kept her cool to beat Maria Sharapova.

As the world’s greatest tennis players compete in London, live coverage was aired on the BBC big screen situated in the Hayes.

The screen is positioned next to St David’s Hall, so shoppers and sports enthusiasts didn’t have to miss a minute of the action.

The event was supported by Sport.Cardiff and in addition to the live coverage there were free activities on offer throughout the day.

A local tennis professional was on hand to give top tips and skills to members of the public and visitors to the event were able to take to the court and challenge a John McEnroe impersonator.

The celebrations took place on two astro turf pitches equipped with umpire, and tiered seating was erected so that visitors could imagine they were watching the action from centre court.

Before the live finals commenced footage from some of the greatest finals of the past were screened, including highlights from the 2008 Nadal v Federer match, Virginia Wade and Bettie Stove in 1977, and the thrilling Men’s Final played on People’s Monday in 2001 by Ivanesevic and Rafter.

Executive Member for Sport, Leisure and Culture, Cllr Nigel Howells said: “To have live coverage of Wimbledon aired on the BBC big screen means that people of all ages can enjoy first class tennis competition.

“Sport.Cardiff’s support of the event furthered the atmosphere in the city centre and gave people the opportunity to try out tennis for themselves.”