Armed Robbery At Southend Coffee Shop

8 November 2011, 12:02 | Updated: 8 November 2011, 12:05

A woman has been threatened by a man after he entered a coffee shop in Southend on Sunday evening (November 6th).

It happened at Costa Coffee towards the top end of the High Street between 6.45pm and 6.55pm.

The shop was closed to the public so he entered via an insecure rear door, backing onto the Farringdon Service Road.

Once inside, the offender approached a member of staff, a woman in her early twenties, and held a knife near her throat, demanding money. 

The woman was forced to put a four-figure sum of cash into a dark coloured drawstring bag, before the man left the shop by either the rear doors into Farringdon Service Road, or the front doors onto the High Street.

The suspect was a man of chunky build with broad shoulders, between 5ft 8ins and 5ft 10ins tall, and spoke with an urban London accent.  He had a dark coloured scarf covering his face and wore a dark hoody, dark trousers and gloves.

The investigating officer, Pc Reece Brent, has been telling Heart: "This was a terrifying ordeal for the young woman, so we are very keen to locate the robber. 

"Were you in the High Street area around this time on Sunday and, if so, did you see someone running along with a drawstring bag or acting suspiciously?  Please come forward and assist police so we can bring the offender to justice."

Pc Brent can be reached in the CID Target Team at Southend police station by calling 101.