THE owner of a newsagents has spoken about the moment he feared for his life after two masked robbers threatened him with a gun and a knife.

Sinjeet Randhawa was working alone at SR Newsagents when two men wearing hoods and masks came into the store at about 7.20pm on Thursday last week.

The 26-year-old, who has owned the shop in Lonsdale Road, Stevenage, for the last four-and-a-half years, was threatened at gun and knife-point by the robbers, who got away four minutes later with about £300 in cash from the till.

Mr Randhawa said: “Two men came in, one with a gun and the other with a knife. They put a knife to my throat and a gun to my face and demanded money.

“The gun was wrapped in a bag so it could have been a toy gun for all I know.

“I thought they were going to kill me – you just don’t know what these people are like.

“One person came in the shop so I told them to leave, hoping they would go to the nearby Almond Tree pub for help. People came back but they were too late.”

It is the second robbery at a Stevenage newsagent since the turn of the year, after cash was stolen at the Post Office in The Oval in January.

Mr Randhawa has now changed his policy at SR Newsagents so two members of staff work together during the evenings.

He added: “Stevenage is changing, and it’s for the worse.”

Regular customer Rye Ashley, who lives in Wisden Road, said: “This has shocked our community. I think it’s disgusting and it makes the staff of the places which are robbed fearful of going into work.

“SR is right opposite an old people’s home, luckily none of the residents were in the store at the time.”

Police are reviewing CCTV footage of the robbery and have released descriptions of the two men.

One of the men is described as black and wearing dark clothing, while the other is believed to be white and was wearing grey clothing at the time.

Detective sergeant Stuart Murrell said: “This was an audacious robbery and we are determined to find those responsible. I would urge anyone who was in or around the Lonsdale Road or Grace Way area before or after the incident who may have seen these males or anything suspicious to get in touch with us immediately.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact DS Murrell on police non-emergency number 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.