The police on Thursday arrested a 21-year-old man following a string of thefts in Sliema and Valletta on Wednesday.

The police said they were on Wednesday at around 9pm informed that a man armed with a knife had entered a shop in Sir Adrian Dingli Street, Sliema and demanded cash from the salesperson, a 37-year-old man who lives in St Paul’s Bay.

The thief escaped with cash and other items he stole from the shop.

The man is believed to be the same person who, earlier in the day, carried out another two thefts in Sliema and one in Valletta.

The first theft was carried out at around 2am when the thief entered a hotel in Old Bakery Street Valletta and stole cash.

At around 4am, he made off with cash from a hostel in Triq Sir George Borg, Sliema. The case was in a box behind the reception bench. Soon after, he stole a wallet and a mobile phone from a car in Triq it-Torri,  also in Sliema.

Following a number of searches at places the man was known to visit, the police found him in Valletta on Thursday morning and arrested him.

Investigations are continuing. The man is expected to be charged in the coming days. An inquiry is being held.