Police are hunting an armed robber who used an axe to threaten staff at an Abroath newsagent.
The masked man charged into Sam’s Store on Ponderlaw Street wielding the weapon and demanded money from the till.
He made off with about £45 worth of cigarettes, a bottle of vodka and £200 in cash.
The 45-year-old assistant who was working at the counter was left badly shaken, but unhurt.
It happened just after 6am on Saturday.
Rana Khan, the store’s owner, raced to the store to let the female employee go home and rest.
He said: “He had a masked and a hat on, and went straight to the till and demanded money. My staff gave it over because of the axe. He then asked for a bottle of vodka and tobacco. She handed that over too and he left.”
Mr Khan said: “She phoned me straight away and then the police, who were very quick to respond because they were already there when I arrived.
“The police have been a very good help so far. I was impressed by how quickly they got there and took it serious.
“It’s a frightening thing for someone to behave like that.”
Mr Khan said it is unusual for such a dramatic crime to take place in the area. The last time he recalled something similar happening was in 2005, shortly after he started work at the store.
“The amount we have lost is not too bad for us, but it’s still not nice for someone to do this,” he said.
“We do a public service here. With the coronavirus and all of that we have been here to serve the people who live nearby.
“There are very nice people in this area. I have been here for about 15 years and there are some elderly people in the area so it’s all very upsetting.
“We’re just a local shop.”
The police checked for fingerprints as well as the store’s CCTV, but because of the robber was wearing a mask it was not possible to get a clear image of his face.
He has been described as being white, in his thirties and of a medium build.
At the time of the raid, he was wearing a black hooded top, with the hood up, black jeans and a burgundy tammy-style hat. He wore distinctive red trainers with a white sole.
His facemask was black and he carried a black rucksack over his shoulders.
Detective Constable Paul Hardie from Dundee CID said: “This was a frightening experience for the shop assistant involved who thankfully was not injured during the incident.
“Enquiries are ongoing to identify the man responsible and I would urge anyone who may have been in the area at this time and who may have seen this man to get in touch with us as soon as they can.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting incident 0945 of 18 July, or alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
