Staff were left shaken last night after a man wielding a knife broke into a convenience store in Northfield.
The Lintmill Shoppy closed abruptly around 9.30pm yesterday after a 16-year-old retail assistant was threatened with the blade.
The man brandishing the knife demanded money and made a quick getaway after being handed bags of pound coins by terrified staff.
Police were immediately called to the premises where investigations took place.
The suspect in this incident has been recorded on CCTV cameras, and police visited the store this morning to review footage and take fingerprints.
Owner of the store Ramalingam Yogeswaran, 57, who goes by ‘Yogi,’ confirmed that affected staff are thankfully unharmed and have taken the day off.
The shop has reopened since 9am this morning but Yogi says his colleagues were shaken by the incident.
Speaking to The Press and Journal, he said: “Someone came in at about half past 9 with a knife asking for money.
“Two girls were working, one of them was very scared and left through the back.
“The other one explained that I needed to take all the money from the till and gave him a £20 coin bag.
“They were very scared. The girl who ran away was only 16. The other girl was okay and she phoned the police. The police were here all night.”
Repeat customer causing problems in Lintmill
Yogi also claims the man has been in the shop before.
He told the P&J, that he has had several run-ins with the individual, including a time where he stole vodka and assaulted his wife.
“I know him. He has been a problem here 2 or 3 times,” Yogi continued.
“Obviously the newer staff weren’t aware of him. The first time he asked about vodka and then just put it in a bag and run.
“The next time he did the same thing and he pushed and punched my wife.”
Business as usual in Northfield after knife incident
But, Yogi says that despite the problems with one particular customer, he enjoys running his business in Northfield.
He added: “We don’t usually have problems in this shop. He’s the only one we have issues with and we have called the police a few times.
“I really enjoy working at the shop, I have been here for 13 years now. This is the worst incident we have had.
“No one has ever brought a knife in here. It’s back to normal now.”
A Police spokesperson said: “Around 9.30pm on Wednesday, 11 September, 2024, we received a report of a robbery at business premises in Lintmill Terrace, Aberdeen.
“There were no reports of any injuries and inquiries are ongoing.”
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