UPDATED: Knifepoint robbery at York shop (From York Press)

Knifepoint robbery at Haxby Road shop

12:13pm Wednesday 9th May 2012 in News By Mark Stead, mark.stead@thepress.co.uk

A MANHUNT has been launched after a knifeman robbed a cashier in a York shop.

The armed man and a masked accomplice struck at the Gold Mine, on the corner of Haxby Road and Walpole Street, and ordered the woman behind the counter to open the till before grabbing a haul of cash. It is the second time the shop has been robbed in the past three months.

Neighbours today spoke of their shock over the raid, which happened at about 11.15pm on Tuesday.

Detectives said the crime had left the victim “distressed and shaken”.

One of the raiders, wearing a Hallowe’en-style mask, stood near the door as the other man, who had covered his face with a scarf and was brandishing a large knife, demanded money.

Scenes-of-crime investigators were today searching for clues at the shop, which remained closed, but it is not known where the two men went after stealing the money. The crime is not believed to be connected to a previous robbery at the same store in February, believed to have involved a hammer, and over which a 21-year-old local man has since been arrested.

Maria Paphitis, who runs the Goodfillas sandwich shop on the opposite side of the road to the Gold Mine, said she believed the store’s current owners had been there for about a year.

She said: “It is such a real shame for them. “They are nice people who keep themselves to themselves and it’s obviously very, very scary for them, especially when there is a knife involved. I think the shop may have had problems with people running off with items before, but nothing as serious as this.

“I just hope the police can quickly catch whoever did this, because if people are carrying knives around, you can never be sure whether or not they are going to use it and it will leave people on edge. I think this area is just not well-lit enough, and maybe this shows we should have more CCTV around here.”

One Walpole Street resident, who did not wish to be named, said he had called at the shop this morning but found it shut.

He added: “The people working there are always so friendly and they work hard, so it’s awful for them to have to go through something like this.

“I’m just glad nobody was hurt, but I’m sure it will leave an impact on them and it will make people living around here very worried when something like this happens near their homes.”

The man who threatened the cashier with the knife is 6ft tall with a stocky build and was wearing light grey jogging bottoms and a dark, hooded Reebok top as well as his scarf disguise.

The second man is also about 6ft tall and was wearing a grey hooded top with a pattern on the front, dark tracksuit bottoms and dark trainers, while he was carrying a black shoulder bag with a long strap.

Detective Sergeant Fionna McEwan of York CID said: “This was a shocking incident which has naturally left the woman who was threatened distressed and shaken by the experience.”

Anybody with information should phone Debbie Outwin at York CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.