A MASKED man armed with a kitchen knife and a metal baton robbed a supermarket on Tuesday morning leaving the manager locked in a room for two hours. Police say the robber entered the rear of the Spar shop in Chambers Way, Saxon Gate, Biggleswade, and thr

A MASKED man armed with a kitchen knife and a metal baton robbed a supermarket on Tuesday morning leaving the manager locked in a room for two hours.

Police say the robber entered the rear of the Spar shop in Chambers Way, Saxon Gate, Biggleswade, and threatened the manager.

The manager had just entered the store and locked the front door behind him before going to the rear of the premises where he opened a rear door in preparation to bring in newspapers.

When he returned he was confronted by the man wearing a balaclava who threatened him with a knife and ordered him to open the safe.

The manager was then bundled into a storeroom where the safe was and he gave the armed raider the till floats for the day.

Police say the thief then asked the manager for a carrier bag to carry the cash but as he left the bag split open and he had to find another bag and scoop up cash from the floor.

The raider took the manager's mobile phone and locked him in the storeroom and as he left promised to call the police to release him which he failed to do.

The manager was eventually released after his calls for help were heard by a member of the public outside the shop which had failed to open at its normal time. The police were then called to release the manager.

"When the bag broke it would have been a bit of a joke had I not had a large knife held against my chest," said the manager who did not want to be named.

"At one stage I thought of having a go but the robber was very agitated and nervous and was threatening me with violence.

"He only got away with a couple of hundred quid, mostly in pennies and small change. I managed to climb out of the room at one stage through the false ceiling but couldn't drop down into the store. So I just kept calling for help and a regular customer heard me as I hadn't opened up and he called the police."

Police say the raider was in his 30s and spoke with a Mancunian accent. He wore a woollen ribbed balaclava, black sweater, dark blue or black jeans and dark trainers.

Police say a search was made of the area but no trace was found of the man or the weapons. Investigating officers say if a large kitchen knife is found in the area or a metal baton they should be handed into Biggleswade police station immediately.

Anyone with information or who saw anyone suspicious hanging around the Spar shop or other shops in the block at around 7.15am on Tuesday should contact the robbery investigation room on 01234 275147.