A brave shop assistant has described the terrifying moment she was threatened by a knife-wielding robber at the Lowestoft store she was working in.

The mother of two was working on her own at All Sorts in Oxford Road on Friday night when a man entered the shop and pulled out a small knife and demanded she hand over money from the till and tried to grab it.

But the robber fled empty handed after the quick thinking 33-year-old worker set off an alarm and then screamed for help.

Despite her ordeal the woman was back at work yesterday as police released CCTV images on the same day of the robber, who concealed his face with a hat and scarf, in an attempt to find him.

Describing the moment when the robber pulled a knife on her the woman, who did not want to be named, said: 'I just froze, He was waving the knife at me.

'I thought if I went near him he might kill me. I was terrified. I just kept thinking of my two children.

'He kept saying 'Open the till, give me the money'. I managed to reach the alarm and set it off, I then screamed as well. He ran off and a man started to chase him.

'How can someone wave a knife at a woman on her own and threaten her? I just think it is really sad that someone does that sort of thing.'

All Sorts has been owned for nearly three years by Kevin Glynn and he said it was first time there had been an armed robbery at his shop since he had been there.

Praising the woman's reaction to the robbery by triggering the alarm Mr Glynn said: 'She certainly did the right thing.'

A police spokesman said: 'Lowestoft Police are releasing CCTV images of a man who carried out an attempted robbery at a general store.

'At 6.20pm on Friday a man entered the store in Oxford Road and asked the female shop assistant for change. When she refused he then demanded money, produced a small knife and attempted to open the till himself.

'The man ran from the shop empty handed when the shop assistant sounded a personal safety alarm and called for help.'

The robber was white, in his late 30s, early 40s, about 5ft 9in and had a stocky build and wore a beige coloured fleece, a dark beanie hat and a red and black scarf, which was partially covering his face.

•Anyone with information should call Det Con Alan Barnes at Lowestoft CID on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.