THIS is the moment when a shop worker came face-to-face with a suspected robber in York.

Police have released this CCTV image of a man suspected of assaulting and threatening assistant Joanne Wright in Millennium Food And Wine, which opened three weeks ago in Bishopthorpe Road.

A man demanded money from the till and told Miss Wright he had a knife. He also threatened to shoot her.

Miss Wright, 28, told The Press that when he realised she was trying to phone police, he wrestled her to the ground and punched her in the head.

The man tried to break into the till by smashing it on the floor, but fled empty-handed on a mountain bike.

No gun or knife was actually seen in the incident, which happened at about 12.40pm on Monday. Miss Wright suffered bumps and bruises to her head and scratches to her arm and was left very shaken.

Although the suspect was able to cover his face, officers believe someone will recognise the hooded royal blue rain jacket he was wearing which has a thick black stripe across the shoulders.

The suspect is described as white, slim build, about 5ft 6ins tall, in his late teens, with distinctive pale blue eyes.

He was wearing a three-quarter length royal blue rain jacket, elasticated around the waist, with a thick black stripe across the shoulders. He was also wearing dark tracksuit bottoms, dark grey gloves and was carrying dark JD Sports drawstring bag with three white stripes on it.

Anyone with information is asked to phone police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.