A SHOP assistant was left terrified after having a knife held to his throat during a robbery in Newport yesterday.

Sheikh Udden was working in Non-Stop Bargain Booze in Corporation Road at around 9.30am when a man entered the store with his hood up and face covered.

Shop owner, Sharif Abdul said the man held a three-inch fisherman's knife to Mr Udden's throat and demanded money.

Mr Abdul said: "He had the knife to his neck and threatened to kill him and then took the money and his phone. There was around £930 rent money and then around £600, plus some change. It was about £1,600 altogether."

He said Mr Udden, who is a student and works in the shop part time, was so terrified by the incident that he could barely speak, but was unhurt in the robbery. No one else was in the shop at the time of the robbery.

Mr Abdul has owned the shop for around three years and said during that time there have been three or four robberies, as well as vandalism to the shop windows, and one incident where someone let a firework off in the shop.

CCTV footage from the shop is being examined by the police. Mr Abdul said the only description Mr Udden gave was that the man was black and had his hood up and something over his face.

A Gwent Police spokeswoman said they were called at around 9.40am and the man made off down Walsall Street.

Woman assaulted in another city centre robbery

IN A separate incident, a woman was assaulted during a robbery at a shop in Pill, Newport, yesterday morning.

Two men entered Abbaid Stores, on Commercial Road, at around 9am, and assaulted the woman behind the counter, before stealing a suitcase containing jewellery and clothing.

A Gwent Police spokeswoman said the woman was taken to hospital as a precaution, but was not seriously injured in the incident.

Anyone with information about either robberies should contact Gwent Police on 01633 838111 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.