Four people have been charged following investigations into three armed robberies at businesses in Townsville over the weekend.

It will be alleged around 2.20am on Saturday, staff at a service station on Charters Towers Road at Hermit Park were threatened by a man with a knife before cash was stolen.

Around 9.30pm on the same day, two men allegedly threatened an employee with a knife at a service station on Ross River Road at Cranbrook. They allegedly fled the scene with a sum of cash and a quantity of cigarettes.

It will further be alleged a knife was used during an armed robbery at a bottle shop on Railway Avenue at Railway Estate around 4pm yesterday. A sum of cash and a quantity of alcohol was allegedly stolen during the incident.

Around 5.30pm police located a vehicle at the intersection of Ninth Street and Tenth Avenue at Railway Estate after it had allegedly failed to stop for police at Hermit Park a short time earlier. Officers arrested four people nearby.

An 18-year-old Hermit Park man was charged with two counts each of armed robbery and possessing dangerous drugs and one count each of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, failing to stop and driving without a licence.
An 18-year-old Hermit Park man was charged with three counts of armed robbery.

A 17-year-old Kelso man was charged with one count of armed robbery.

The three men are due to appear in the Townsville Magistrates Court today.

A 16-year-old Douglas girl has been charged with one count of armed robbery and will be dealt with under the provisions of the Youth Justice Act 1994.