AN armed robber made off with cash from the till of a grocery store after threatening the 41-year-old shop assistant with an axe.

The man escaped from Faz and Bros General Store in Wensley Road, Blackburn, following the robbery at 6.50pm yesterday.

He entered the shop, produced the axe from beneath his coat and told shop assistant Syaria Khasnia to open the till before reaching over the counter and taking the money.

Inspector Stuart Coates, of Blackburn Police, said: "This man was in and out of the shop within a matter of seconds but someone must have seen him leaving or running away.

"The shop assistant was not hurt in the attack but this is a serious incident."

The man is Asian, between 5ft 4ins and 5ft 5ins tall and in his late teens or early 20s.

He is skinny and was wearing a padded bomber-style jacket with black arms and shoulders and a mustard-coloured body.

He was also wearing a baseball cap.

Anyone with any information should contact Blackburn police on 01254 51212.

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