A MASKED robber threatened to beat a female shop assistant with a baseball bat in an attack at an off-licence last night.

And today police were looking at security camera recordings taken from Cheers off-licence, Whalley New Road, Blackburn, in an attempt to trace the raider.

The attack happened around 9pm when the 21-year-old assistant was closing the window shutters at the shop.

The 6ft man, wearing a black balaclava and gloves forced her inside the shop and threatened to beat her unless she handed over money from the till. He fled after she gave him a quantity of cash.

The woman hit the shop's panic button and raised the alarm.

Detective Inspector Mick Gradwell from Blackburn Police described the attack as "very nasty," saying it had left the victim shaken and distressed.

He said: "The level of violence threatened was very serious and it has left the young woman extremely shocked and distressed."

The robber who had a deep voice, wore a dark coloured sweatshirt.

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