A SHOP assistant was held at knife point by a would-be robber who tried to raid a post office.

Michael Spence was confronted by the man demanding money at the Hampden Park shop in Rosebery Avenue, Eastbourne just after midday yesterday.

Brave Mr Spence refused to hand over the money and raised the alarm, forcing the armed intruder to leave empty-handed.

Mr Spence, who is in his late 20s, was treated by paramedics for shock.

Thiyagalingam Kularajan, 47, who runs the business with his wife and postmistress Gitanjali, blamed the open-counter Post Office for the second attempted knife-point robbery in 16 months.

Mr Kularajan, who also runs a Post Office and a convenience store on Seaside, Eastbourne, said: “There were customers in the store but thankfully no-one was hurt.

“Two years ago this happened to me in the Seaside shop. I was scared so I understand what he is going through.

“Police never caught the man who did that and I worry this could be the same this time. The CCTV footage is not very clear.

“The Post Office say the open counter is more customer friendly but we have a closed counter in the Seaside office and I think it’s safer.

“I think Hampden Park has been targeted twice because of the open counter.”

The Hampden Park shop was closed until November last year when Mr Kularajan and his wife took it on temporarily because customers needed the service.

Anyone who saw a tanned or dark skinned man wearing a light coloured hooded jumper and sunglasses to call 101, email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.