Three baby-faced attackers have been quizzed by police over a terrifying incident in which a shop keeper was threatened at knife-point.

Two 13-year-old boys and a 14-year-old boy have been questioned by police after a knife was brandished before a shopkeeper.

One eye-witness said that when they saw the three suspects in the rear of a police car following the incident, they assumed they were lost children because they were so young looking.

Officers were called to the incident at the £1 Zone discount shop next to Iceland in Boundary Road, Hove, at just after 3pm on Sunday.

The young boys had been accused of shoplifting in the store before one of the group pulled out a knife. Fortunately nobody was injured in the incident.

Eye-witnesses who saw the three suspects said on Facebook they were “baby-faced” and “very young looking”.

The incident is the latest in a number of alleged teen knife incidents in recent months.

In January a 14-year-old girl was arrested after a teacher was injured with a knife at a school in Hailsham.

In March, a Dorothy Stringer School pupil chased a fellow teenager with a knife at the school.

Robert Nemeth, newly elected ward councillor, said: “With my colleague Garry Peltzer Dunn, we have put a lot of time over the past few years into getting to know shop owners and staff. The road is improving constantly.

“This incident is a one-off and not any reflection of the street generally.”

A Sussex Police spokeswoman said: “Police were called to Poundzone in Boundary Road, Portslade, at 3.05pm on Sunday after three teenage boys had been allegedly shoplifting in the store.

“One of boys, a 13-year-old also allegedly waved a knife at a member of staff.

“No one was hurt.

“Two 13-year-old boys from Brighton and a 14-year-old boy from Portslade were arrested on suspicion of theft and were released on bail until May 18.”