Shop manager Norma Bagshaw feared for her life when a masked raider armed with a foot-long knife robbed her today.

New Earswick knife attack victim Norma Bagshaw

The man brandished the bread knife and threatened 51-year-old Mrs Bagshaw at the Londis shop, in Hawthorn Terrace, just after she opened up at around 6.40am.

The knifeman bundled her into a back office at knifepoint and demanded to know where the safe was.

Mrs Bagshaw said: "I thought I was dead because he had a bread knife in his hand. I was absolutely terrified.

"He was getting more and more agitated because he wouldn't believe that we didn't have a safe."

After almost ten minutes in the shop the man grabbed the £150 till float from a drawer and cash from Mrs Bagshaw's handbag.

He then snatched packets of cigarettes from a shelf and ran out of the shop towards Haxby.

The robber was described as being aged about 20, 6ft and slim. He was wearing a maroon woolly hat, a burgundy bomber jacket, brown trousers and brown shoes. His face was masked with a blue scarf.

Mrs Bagshaw was not injured but was left very distressed. She was recovering from her ordeal at home today.

Minutes before the raid, the robber was seen waiting at a bus stop outside the store and stamping his feet to keep warm.

Detectives are particularly keen to speak to bus passengers who waited alongside him before they boarded the 1A service at 6.35am.

Detective Sergeant John Roberts, of York CID, said: "It was a terrifying ordeal for this lady and we are treating the matter very seriously.

"The people at the bus stop could have important information and we would very much like to hear from them and from anyone who knows anything that will help us to catch this man."

The people waiting for the bus and others with information should contact police on 01904 631321.

Londis owner Miriam Hoare said this was the most serious incident at the shop in the three years she has owned it.

A teenager suffered a broken nose and cuts and bruises to his face after he was attacked by am man demanding money.

The incident happened at about 9.30pm last nightwhen the 15-year-old was with three friends at Bridlington fairground in the town's Hilderthorpe Road.

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