A robber brandishing a firearm at a shop assistant demanded cash from the till in a raid on the Walker’s Village Store, Horsehay, Telford, yesterday.The shop assistant managed to get to the rear of the store in Woodhouse Lane and escaped without handing over any money in the incident at about 1.45pm.

The offender fled the store empty-handed.

It has not yet been disclosed whether there were any customers in the shop at the time.

Telford police spokeswoman Denise Wakefield said today: “A man entered the store and demanded the victim open the till.

“The shop assistant managed to go around the back of the store and escape. The offender left the store empty-handed.

“It is believed he left on a motorbike towards the direction of Doseley.”

She said the man was carrying a type of firearm.

The woman involved in the attempted robbery was not in work today but the shop and Post Office was open as usual.

One Horsehay resident, who did not wish to be named, said: “I can’t believe something like this would happen in the village.

“The shop is very busy and is surrounded by houses so somebody must have seen them.

“The people who run the shop are lovely – it must have been very frightening for her.

“It’s frightening to think people are going around doing this in a quiet village like Horsehay.”

Police have appealed for anyone with information to ring them on 08457 444888 or the confidential Crimestoppers line on 0800 555111.