A man who was threatened with a handgun in an attempted robbery on his post office believes police have given up on his case, after a teenager was released without charge.

Robert Middleton owns and runs Willian Stores in Willian Road and was behind the counter on April 11 when someone walked into his shop in a balaclava and demanded he handed over money.

Mr Middleton, himself a former police officer in Wales, refused and the offender fled empty-handed.

The clothes worn by the offender were recovered from an alleyway near to the shop, with a 16-year-old from Letchworth arrested five days later in connection with the attempted robbery.

The teenager was repeatedly bailed by police while they collected evidence but the Crown Prosecution Service has now decided there is insufficient evidence to prosecute.

Mr Middleton said he feels that the police and CPS have not treated this offence seriously enough and has appealed against the decision not to prosecute.

The 57-year-old said: “I can’t believe they haven’t taken this case more seriously. What’s to stop the person doing this again?

“I’ve heard nothing from the police about following up any other leads. They seem to have given up with the whole thing.

“I have no idea what the person looks like because they were covered head-to-toe in black so they could walk into my shop tomorrow and I wouldn’t know it was them.

“I think it’s a frightening thought and I just worry that if they aren’t found then they might do it again.”

A police spokesman said that if further information came to light it would be investigated. Nobody from the Crown Prosecution Service has as yet been available for comment.