Masked thieves steal cash till from newsagents

Two masked men stormed a Tipton newsagents stealing a till containing cash, thousands of pounds worth of cigarettes and bottles of whiskey, police revealed today.

The hooded robbers burst into the Londis shop in High Street, threatening a shop worker with a hammer.

The cash from the till was understood to be between £400 and £500. A second till was also smashed open but it did not contain any money.

Business owner Iyatthurai Seevaratnam, who was not in the premises at the time, said: "I am devastated. The worker was very upset and afraid." The cigarettes were worth almost £5,000.

It is the second time the Londis shop has been targeted in recent months. On the first occasion in May, the thieves took a till which contained £400.

Now Mr Seevaratnam is considering closing the shop. "We work 15 hours a day. I don't want to worry every time someone comes into the shop."

Police were today studying CCTV of the robbery, which took place at about 8.40pm on Monday. Anyone with information is urged to call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.