A TERRIFIED 19-year-old girl was held at knife-point by a robber who struck at an Aberystwyth store and ordered her to fill a bag with cash.

The robber got away with £1,675 in cash from the Premier Store in Northgate Street on Easter Sunday - after being in the shop for less than a minute.

Shop assistant and student Anna Pikula, speaking exclusively to the Cambrian News, said she had been left “scared” by the ordeal, and had been moved to a bigger store until she felt safe working on her own again.

“I am still a bit scared to work alone at night,” she said.

Aberystwyth businessman, John Gnanaseenan, whose store was hit, said his staff member was held at knife-point at around 8.40pm and left in tears.

Mr Gnanaseenan said Ms Pikula was in tears after the man threatened her with a knife and ordered her to place all that day’s and the previous two days’ takings, totalling £1,675, in a bag which he had produced.

He added: “He entered the store and looked around, then closed the door and stopped people coming in with his foot.

“From the CCTV you can see customers waiting outside the door.

“She [Anna] was standing by the till and saw the knife. He was pointing the knife at her and she was crying - you can hear it in the audio.

“He gave his own bag to her and said ‘give me all the money’. He asked for the money in the till as well as money from the days before. The whole thing only lasted about 55 seconds.”

Police are appealing for information and have released a CCTV image from inside the store.

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