TWO robbers at a convenience store apologised to the shop assitant as they made off with their haul

ROBBERS said sorry to a shop assistant after they pinned her against the shop door and threatened her.

Vicky Holloway, an assistant at Hayer's Preanes Green News in Worle, was rugby tackled against the door during the incident on September 3, in which two thieves got away with £2,000 worth of cigarettes.

The 26-year-old was sorting out the morning papers ready to be collected for paper rounds when the two men came bursting through the back of the shop.

She said: "The alarm went off but I thought it was just the paper boys mucking around, then one of them came flying at me and threw me against the door.

"It was very shocking to go from thinking it was a joke to realising it was a serious situation. The one who had hold of me told me to stay still and then I wouldn't get hurt.

"I said I wouldn't do anything and didn't need to be held. He started to clench his fist and I thought he was going to punch me, then he calmed down."

The two thieves, who Ms Holloway described as teenage boys wearing hats, hoods and neck scarves up to their eyes, entered the shop with a black dustbin.

She said: "While one of them had hold of me the other ripped down the shelves of cigarettes and emptied them into the bin. He also tried to open the till but when he couldn't he just smashed it on to the floor.

"They were only there for about five minutes and then when they left, one of them had the cheek to say 'sorry love'."

Councillor Gulley Hayer, who owns the shop, had met Ms Holloway that morning to unlock the store and then left to open up another of his shops.

Ms Holloway said: "It was obvious they had it all planned. They knew what sort of time Gulley would leave and then how much time they would have before the paper boys turned up.

"It's quite scary because they must've been watching the shop for quite a while to work that all out."

Ms Holloway has since returned to work.

She said: "The first few days I was a bit nervous about being in the shop on my own but I haven't let it get to me too much. I think if they had threatened me with a weapon it would have affected me more.