Off-licence held up for second time in months

AN OFF-LICENCE has been held up by an armed robber - for the second time this year.

A masked man, believed to be carrying a gun, threatened the owner of Meadows Wine in Melville Terrace before escaping with hundreds of pounds.

The 40-year-old owner chased the armed robber for 40 yards along Sciennes Place, but lost sight of him.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident, which happened at 9pm on Friday.

It comes after an armed robber held up another city off-licence on Thursday night.

A 25-year-old female shop assistant was working alone at the Appellation Wines store in Dalry Road when a man, who was wearing a balaclava and a black raincoat, came in and pointed the gun at her.

The robber shouted "Give me notes, give me notes" and the terrified victim handed over a three-figure sum before he fled into the street.

The thief made off along Richmond Terrace following the robbery at around 8.30pm before jumping over a wall and being lost to sight.

The man who robbed the shop on Friday night was wearing a beige beanie hat and a black ski mask and was described as about 6ft tall, with a medium to heavy build.

He was wearing light blue jeans, and a black waist-length Helly Hansen jacket.

A police spokesman said: "The area was busy at this time of the evening and I'm sure someone must have seen this 40-yard chase along Sciennes Place. Indeed, the shop was busy with customers immediately prior to the male entering and someone may have seen the male hanging around the shop prior to him entering."

The owner of Meadows Wine was also held up in January by a pair of armed robbers. She told the Evening News at the time that the ordeal had left her "shocked and shaken".

The woman, who asked not to be named, previously told how she thought it was a joke when the two men demanded money from her, until she saw the gun.

She said: "My first thought was to give them the money as quickly as possible to get them out again. I emptied one till while one of them emptied the other.

"I don't know anything about guns so it could've been an air pistol, but it looked real to me.

"One of them had a scarf around his face so you could only see his eyes, while the other had a scarf on, but you could see what he looked like.

"I couldn't believe it was happening so it felt very surreal.

"Right after they had gone, I was in shock and started to shake and think about what had happened."

The two men made off with a three-figure sum of cash after brandishing a handgun with a long barrel at the owner, who was working alone at the time.