A Shrewsbury newsagent and post office owner was threatened and robbed by a knife-wielding thug during a terrifying bank holiday raid.A massive police hunt has been launched for the hooded robber who grabbed notes from the shop till before running away.

The thief entered the Ditherington Newsagents and Post Office in Mount Pleasant Road at 12.50pm yesterday.

The robber, who was brandishing a knife and had his features concealed by a scarf, ordered owner Pete Shemar to open up the till in the newsagents part of the premises.

He stole an unspecified sum of cash before fleeing into a nearby housing estate.

No-one was hurt during the incident. Police cordoned off the area.

Officers today issued a plea for help to catch the man after sending forensic teams, police dogs and detectives to the scene.

Detective Constable Chris Thomas, the investigating officer, urged people to contact him if they saw any part of the incident, or a man running near the premises shortly before 1pm.

He said the offender was white, in his late teens or early 20s, of thin build and with a thin face.

He was about 5ft 9ins and was wearing a hooded top with a baseball cap beneath. He wore jeans and trainers. He also had a blue scarf across his face.

“The man was armed with a knife and told the shop owner to open the till. He then grabbed notes from the till and ran from the premises,” said Mr Thomas.

The interlinked premises are owned by Mr Shemar, whose post office is one of those announced by Post Office bosses as on a hitlist to be closed.

A resident of Mount Pleasant Road, who wished to remain anonymous, said she had noticed a man acting suspiciously about 20 minutes to half an hour before the incident took place.

Melville Howells, also of Mount Pleasant Road, said he had not seen or heard the robbery but said he noticed about eight police cars and a CCTV van as well as sniffer dogs entering the premises.

Mr Howells said he understood police had recovered a jacket and had cordoned off the spot where it was found.

Anybody with information should call DC Thomas on 08457 444888 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

By Russell Roberts