A MASKED armed robber who brandished what appeared to be a gun before escaping on a bike is being hunted by detectives.

The raid was carried at around 2.15pm today (Sunday, September 3) at the Simply Food and Drink shop on Newcastle Road in Sunderland.

A spokesman for Northumbria Police, which is investigating, said: “The man, who was wearing a balaclava, threatened a female employee with what appeared to be a firearm and demanded they hand over money from the till.

“The male grabbed a small quantity of cash before he left the store and made off on a bicycle.

“The woman was the only person in the shop at the time and was not injured. She was left extremely upset.”

Enquiries to locate the man are ongoing and there is a heavy police presence in the area surrounding the shop this afternoon.

Anyone who saw the man, who was wearing all black and spoke with a local accent, in the area around the time of the incident is asked to contact police straight away.

  • Extra patrols will be in the area to reassure local people and anyone with information that may help the investigation can speak to those officers or dial 999 quoting log 690 03/09/17.
  • People can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800-555-111.