A man armed with a knife robbed a Shrewsbury store and grabbed the till from the counter of the shop in broad daylight, police said today.

Officers were called to the shopping centre in Oxon, near Shelton Hospital, at about 12.15pm on Saturday following reports a man had entered one of the stores with a knife.

He is reported to have grabbed the till and made off from the scene into the residential estate behind the hospital, where the till was later found to have been ditched.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident or anyone matching the description of the robber to contact them on 0300 333 3000.

Detective Inspector Ian Rouse, who is leading the investigation, said: “I am keen to hear from anybody who might have seen a man acting suspiciously in the area, where there are various shops, including a Nisa supermarket, around this time and in the time leading up to the incident.

“The offender is described as white, in his late teens to early 20s and was wearing a two-tone hooded top that was light or grey on top and dark or navy on the bottom.

“He is reported to have entered the shop with a knife and stolen the till. Staff at the shop were left shaken by the incident and I am keen to hear from anyone who might be able to help us with the investigation.”

Officers carried out a search of the area around the shops following the incident. A man in his 20s was arrested at an address a short time later and was questioned by police.

He was later charged with robbery and remanded in custody.

He was due to appear before Shrewsbury magistrates today.