Robber mistaken for prankster

A would-be armed robber was given short shrift at a village shop in south Wales after the woman assistant waved his 'gun' away thinking he was playing a trick-or-treat prank.

The would-be robber, wearing a balaclava mask, burst into Sunny's Mini Mart in Tredegar, put a holdall down on the counter, and demanded cash from assistant Michelle Yandle.

"I looked at the gun, and it appeared to be a light-coloured plastic. I didn't take it seriously at all," Ms Yandle said.

"He swore at me and said 'I am not joking' and I said, 'Well, I'm fond of a joke myself, but this is not one of them'.

"I thought he was going to take off his balaclava and say sorry, but he picked up the holdall and ran out of the shop.

"It was all over and done with in two minutes. I honestly thought it was all just an elaborate trick-or-treat."

She said that it was only when the man had disappeared that she realised the seriousness of the situation.

The owner of the shop, Sunny Mavar, praised Ms Yandle's response.

"She was very brave. It was a gutsy thing to do," he said.

"She takes a lot of pride in her job and I'm proud to have her here working at the store."

Police say the robber was aged between 19 and 22, of medium build and between 5ft 6in and 5ft 9in tall.