A SHOP owner is offering a reward of £1,000 in a bid to track down a knife-wielding raider who threatened a female assistant.

Stephen Kane, owner of Cardland at Nether Poppleton, near York, hopes the offer will help detectives investigating the robbery.

The raid happened on January 2 at about 4.45pm. The raider threatened the woman assistant, reached into the till and then fled on foot with the contents.

But despite intensive inquiries following the incident, detectives have still been unable to identify the suspect.

"Somebody must know who this man is. If you do, please do the right and decent thing and report it to the police immediately," said Mr Kane.

"What he did that day was terrifying for our shop assistant and he cannot be allowed to get away with it."

The raider was in his late teens, about 5ft 3 to 4ins tall with a skinny build. He spoke with a local accent. He was wearing a black anorak-type jacket with a hood, a black woolly scarf which was wrapped around his face, black woolly gloves, black tracksuit bottoms and lighter coloured trainers.

Anyone who can help should contact Detective Constable Avison at York CID on 0845 6060 247 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.