Blackpool armed robbery: Knife-wielding robber holds up a resort shop

The hooded raider waved a huge kitchen knife at store owner Premkunar Rajanayagam, but was forced into a hasty retreat after the 56-year-old fought him off, but not before clutching his bottle of Yazoo.

“He came behind the till area and the knife looked like it was a foot long.”

“I think when he came in to buy the beer he was making sure no one else was about. I don’t think he wanted to buy the beer.

"At that time I was on my own but two of my staff came in soon after to do a stock take. I don’t think the robber expected them to be there.”

Mr Rajanayagam says the robber bought a bottle of Yazoo milkshake before he pulled the knife on him.

CCTV images captured the incident and showed the robber fleeing but not before rescuing his milkshake.

Mr Rajanayagam also believes the same man came into the shop about an hour before the attempted robbery.

He said: “Someone came in and tried to buy beer and I asked for ID. The man didn’t have any and said he would come back. He sounded exactly the same as the robber.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: “We responded to reports of a robbery at 9.50pm at the Premier shop on Station Terrace. 
“A man entered the shop carrying a knife and demanded money from the shop keeper before fleeing. A short time later a person was arrested.

A 20-year-old man from Blackpool was arrested on suspicion of robbery and is currently in police custody.