A ROBBER threatened a Lowestoft shop owner with a knife in an armed raid in the town.

Police are seeking witnesses following the armed robbery at the Bottle and Basket shop in St Peters Street in Lowestoft last night.

The incident happened just before 9pm last night and saw shop owner Bhargav Acharya try to stop the robber from taking his till.

Mr Acharya fell to the floor after the robber swung his knife in the air - allowing the offender to take the till.

'A member of staff was inside the premises when a man entered the shop and demanded he hand over the till,' a police spokesman said.

'The offender was holding a knife and then grabbed the till from the counter. A brief struggle ensued, causing the shop worker to fall to the ground and sustain grazes to his knee and elbow.

'The member of staff continued to attempt to stop the offender but was threatened with the knife and the man then fled with the whole cash register. He ran off towards Burton Street,' the police spokesman added.

The man involved is white, in his late teens to 20s, about 5ft 9ins to 5ft 10ins tall, of medium to large build and was wearing a grey hooded top with the hood tightly done up around his face and dark jeans.

'Police are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area around this time and would particularly like to speak to a woman who reported seeing a vehicle speed away shortly after the incident, as well as the occupants of this vehicle,' the police spokesman said.

• Anyone who saw someone with the till or anyone with information about the incident or the offender is asked to call Lowestoft CID on the new non-emergency police number 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously if required, on 0800 555 111.