Knife attack on shop worker

A SHOP assistant has told how he was threatened by an armed robber wielding a 12-inch kitchen knife in each hand during a hold-up at his store.

Ghulam Rasul was preparing to close the Premier Store outlet in Broomhouse Road when two men burst in and demanded he empty the till.

Mr Rasul, 50, said he tried to remain calm while one of the men wearing a hoodie waved the pair of knives at his chest.

The robbers, who escaped with a three-figure sum of cash following the robbery at around 7.15pm on Sunday, are now being hunted by police.

Officers are studying CCTV footage taken from the store in a bid to identify the culprits.

Mr Rasul, who was back at work at the shop yesterday despite his ordeal, said: “I was putting out the unsold newspapers and getting ready to close for the night. There were no customers in the shop.

“I was behind the counter when these men came in. One of them had some kind of mask on and he waited next to the door. The other man had a knife in each hand. They were kitchen knives about 12 inches long and he held them up.

“This man started shouting and swearing, threatening me and asking for all the money. He was very aggressive and had the knives pointed towards my chest, but I tried to keep calm. I thought if I can give them the money quickly there wouldn’t be any trouble and I wouldn’t be hurt.

“They didn’t seem like they wanted violence. They were all about getting the money.

“After I gave them the takings they ran off. The whole thing lasted about one or two minutes.”

The suspects were described as being white, in their mid-30s and both spoke with local accents. One of the men was wearing beige sheepskin mittens, a brown waterproof jacket with the hood up and a hat underneath.

The other man was wearing a black waterproof jacket with the hood up, and was carrying a black bag.

Mr Rasul, who has worked at the store for two years, added: “This was the first time I have ever been the victim of a robbery. I just wanted to get it over with without any trouble. But it hasn’t made me afraid to work.

“I think these men must have been hanging around outside. They probably saw me taking the papers out and knew I was closing soon. They also came when no customers were here.”

Detective Sergeant Neil Spowart, who is leading the inquiry, said: “Although there were no other customers in the shop at the time, we are keen to hear from anyone who may have been in the area, and who may have seen two men acting suspiciously.

“Fortunately, no-one was injured in this incident, although it has been a terrible experience for the member of staff, so we would appeal for anyone with any information to police on 0131-311 3131.”