Knife raid for packet of fags

A KNIFE-WIELDING robber thrust a blade towards the face of a terrified shop assistant and threatened to kill her before escaping with his haul – a single pack of cigarettes.

Sadia Anwar was alone in the Lasswade News Plus store on Lasswade Road when the thief confronted her and demanded she empty the till.

The 29-year-old was too terrified to comply after the suspect pulled out a knife and brandished it inches from her face.

But after he demanded she hand over the stock of cigarettes, she passed a pack of Lambert and Butler over the counter and the man fled in the direction of Captain's Road, before turning left on to Yewlands Gardens.

Fellow shop assistant Qamar Zulfiqar, 19, returned to the shop minutes later and called police. Officers are now studying CCTV images of the robber captured in-store during the raid at around 2:30pm on Wednesday.

In an unlikely twist, Qamar's uncle, Sajid Rashid, 45, had been held up at knifepoint the previous day by a teenage thief at his Dalkeith newsagent.

Mr Zulfiqar said: "I had just left the shop to go to the bank and I was only going to be away for a few minutes. While I was gone, this guy came into the shop and shouted at Sadia, who was on her own, to give him all the money in the till.

"She was really frightened and couldn't really understand what he was saying. Then he said 'give me all the cigarettes or I'll kill you right here' and took out a knife, which he pushed towards her face. She gave him a pack of cigarettes across the counter and he ran out.

"Sadia phoned me and was really upset so I ran back to the shop. I went round the streets to see if I could see the guy but he was gone."

Ms Anwar said the robber had "seemed quite happy" when he fled with one packet of cigarettes.

"I could see the knife but kept my eyes on his face so he didn't think I was scared.

"He said, give me all the money or I will kill you.

"I just said we had none and turned to the cigarettes.

"It was terrifying but I was amazed and relieved when he left."

Police found an image of the suspect on the store's CCTV.

Mr Zulfiqar added: "You could only see his face for half a second, but the police were hoping to freeze an image to try to identify him.

"It wasn't until 6pm when I was in the shop and I was reading the Evening News that I saw the story about my uncle being held up on Tuesday. I hadn't heard about it so I phoned him to make sure he was all right.

His uncle, Mr Rashid, dodged several attacks from a knife as he tried to foil the hold-up at Sprott Newsagents in Gibraltar Gardens, Dalkeith, and said he was fortunate to escape unhurt. His assailant fled with just 180.

The suspect in the latest robbery is described as white, 25-35 years old, 6ft-6ft 2in tall, clean shaven, with short dark hair, and wearing dark trousers and a black hooded top with grey sleeves.

A police spokesman said: "While the victim wasn't injured, she was understandably distressed, and we are keen for any information that can help us identify the suspect.

"Anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident, who noticed the suspect there, should contact police immediately.

"Similarly, anyone who recognises the description of the suspect, or who has any information that can assist our inquiries, should also get in touch."