Mount shop held up at knifepoint

A heavy police presence was seen in Maunganui Rd after a storekeeper was held up at knifepoint yesterday.

A store worker at The Souvenir Shop, in Mount Maunganui, was held up at knifepoint yesterday afternoon.

Police were called to the shop on Maunganui Rd about 2.30pm where a man allegedly presented a knife at a female storekeeper and demanded money from her but left the shop empty-handed.

A heavy police presence was present after the incident with the police appealing for information from members of the public and other store workers. The store was closed after the incident happened. Police confirmed nobody was hurt but the storekeeper was shaken by the incident and was receiving assistance from Victim Support.

Detective Sergeant Alan Kingsbury said it appeared the man had been in the souvenir store for about 30 minutes prior to the attempted robbery and it was possible he had been in other shops in the area as well.

Mr Kingsbury has appealed for anybody with information to come forward.

The fact the man had presented the knife was extremely concerning and that it was fortunate that nobody was hurt, he said.

He stressed that somebody in the community would know who was involved and would hold the key to solving the incident.

The man was described as being European and aged in his early to mid 20s, slight build and approximately 172cm tall with facial hair on his chin and gaps between his teeth. He had mid-length black hair and was wearing a grey checked jacket with a light blue hooded top underneath it.

The man was seen to run to a vehicle which was parked nearby in Prince Avenue and he drove off a short time later. The vehicle was described as an older model four-door sedan with faded red paint.