A TEENAGE shop worker has told of the terrifying moment a masked raider pointed a gun at her and demanded money.Beckie Spooner, 18, was working with a 16-year-old colleague when the Spar store in Spring Road, St Osyth, was raided at 6.

By Annie Davidson

A TEENAGE shop worker has told of the terrifying moment a masked raider pointed a gun at her and demanded money.

Beckie Spooner, 18, was working with a 16-year-old colleague when the Spar store in Spring Road, St Osyth, was raided at 6.10pm on Sunday.

The masked man was holding a black handgun and demanded the teenagers empty the contents of the till into a carrier bag before he escaped with cash.

The young workers were shaken but uninjured in the incident. Beckie, from Clacton, returned to work last night and told of her ordeal.

She said: “It wasn't very busy and we were discussing whether to start cleaning the shelves when in came a rather large man wearing a balaclava.

“He pulled out his gun and asked us to put money in the bag. We did what he wanted to get him out as quickly as possible.”

Having worked in the shop for two-and-a-half years, Beckie said that this was the first time anything like this had happened to her.

She added: “At first I did think about not coming back, but it could happen anywhere, I can't just go to another job.”

The shop's managers Lynda and Roy Spinks are cutting short a two-week holiday and flying home after being informed of the robbery.

Another worker at the shop, who did not wish to be named, said she was called after the incident by one of the teenagers.

“He pointed a gun at them and they did what I have always told them to do and handed the money over,” she said.

“What I cannot believe is that he did it while it was still light outside. Someone could have easily seen him.”

The offender fled, possibly in the direction of the Seawick Holiday Village, and police are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen the robber after that, particularly if he was in a vehicle.

Officers were quickly on scene after the raid and launched the force helicopter to carry out a search of the area in a bid to trace the robber.

They were yesterday examining the store's CCTV to see if the robbery had been captured on tape.

The offender was described as “fat” and wearing a black or blue fleece and blue jeans.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det-con Fred Crawley, at Clacton police, on 01255 221312.