SHOP assistant Christine Hewitt today told of the terrifying moment when a masked raider held a sawn-off shotgun to her head.

Four masked robbers wearing black balaclavas threatened to shoot her if she did not hand over takings from Dixons' Mini Market, Anyon Street, Darwen, last night.

She said: "I thought I was dead. He was pointing the shotgun at me and they were all shouting at me to open the till. I was shaking so much that I couldn't open it. I thought he was going to shoot me. I kept thinking about my children."

The armed robber jumped over the counter and demanded Christine open the cash till as his accomplices punched customer Ian Sears.

Christine said: "They really whacked him and then put him to the back of the store. It was completely unprovoked. They meant business. It all happened so fast it was terrifying."

The mother-of-two revealed that she was only working at the shop last night because she had swapped her normal shift with work colleague Liz Montague.

The 39-year-old is recovering from her terrifying ordeal at her home on Anyon Street, a stone's throw from her work-place. Christine was so distraught that she has vowed never to work again at night and is even considering not returning to her job at all.

She said: "I haven't slept all night. It was terrible and I'm still stunned and confused. It was like something you see on TV. You just don't expect it to happen in Darwen."

The robbers snatched £550 cash from the till and grabbed a bottle of whisky from the shelf before fleeing down a back alley at the rear of the store, owned by Alan Dixon.

Police were today appealing for information about a D-registered, white Vauxhall Astra car seen in the area shortly before the robbery.

The number plate contained unusual, curved lettering and numbers.

Detective Inspector Mick Gradwell, of Blackburn CID, said: "This was a particularly violent robbery carried out by a group of aggressive and abusive men.

"We urgently need to catch those responsible before they commit any similar offences and would like to speak to anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area around the time of the attack."

The customer who was assaulted was left dazed but declined hospital treatment.

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