Terrifying moment masked raider targets Gateshead shop armed with metal rod

Armed with a metal rod and with his face covered, this is the terrifying moment a shopkeeper was threatened in a mid-morning raid.

The robber struck at the Premier convenience store on Prince Consort Road, in Gateshead, at around 10am on Wednesday.

After entering the shop with his hood pulled up and a mask over his face, the thug pulled out his weapon and demanded cash from manager Ram Gurrala. But when the 27-year-old refused to open the till, the raider reached over the counter and grabbed three bottles of vodka before running out of the shop.

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Northumbria Police are still hunting the raider.

And Ram, who runs two shops in Gateshead, says shoplifting and theft is now a regular occurrence. But he told the Chronicle he was just grateful no-one was hurt in the robbery.

"If you lose some money it's ok, but at the end of the day if someone got hurt it would be another thing," he said. "At some point we can earn the money back."

A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said: “Just before 10am we received a report of robbery at a premises on Prince Consort Road, Gateshead.

“It’s reported that a man, in possession of a metal rod, stole three bottles of alcohol before leaving."

“Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact us."

Anyone with information is asked to quote crime reference number 131456T/24 when contacting police.