Police released video footage today of the moment a teenage boy threatened a staff member with a hammer in a robbery at a newsagent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3zG93Vm3PU&feature=youtu.be

The 16-year-old from Peterborough, who cannot be named for legal reasons, entered AA News, in Everdon Way, Westwood, Peterborough at about noon on Saturday, May 2, while an accomplice acted as look-out.

Holding the hammer in the air, he demanded the woman hand over money. She took cash out of the till and was told to put it into a black drawstring back given to her by the teenager who also grabbed numerous bottles of vodka.

He then took some bars of chocolate before running out of the shop with the cash, alcohol, and tobacco.

Police released CCTV footage from the robbery and as a result information was received linking the teenager to the robbery.

He was charged on June 15, admitted robbery at court and on Friday was sentenced to 16 months in a young offenders’ institution at Peterborough Crown Court.

DC Kevin Poole, who investigated, said: “The offender is young in this case but the sentence shows how seriously this type of crime is treated by the courts.

“It was a terrifying experience for the member of staff, who was the only other person in the store at the time, and she has not worked since.”