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A teenager who robbed two stores at knifepoint has been sentenced.
Wearing black, a balaclava and gloves, a 15-year-old boy, who can’t be named for legal reasons, walked into Hartford Stores in Main Street, Hartford at 6.25am on 18 September.
He pulled out a large knife and demanded money from the member of staff behind the counter.
The boy was seen on CCTV climbing over the counter where he opened the till, while the staff member locked himself into a back room. He left a few moments later with between £200 and £300 in cash.
He called a taxi to take him to Somersham where, at 9.10am, he walked into the Post Office in High Street and brandishing the knife again, demanded money from the two members of staff working.
The boy was captured on CCTV leaning over the counter thrashing the knife at the pair. He fell backwards after one worker threw a display cabinet at him and then ran out of the store empty handed.
Police were called and following a search of the village, with the assistance of the police drone, the boy was found hiding in a bush at the allotments. He was wearing the same clothes seen in the CCTV footage.
At Peterborough Crown Court on Friday (24 January), the teenager was sentenced to 30 months in a young offenders institute after previously pleading guilty to robbery, attempted robbery, two counts of possession of a knife and escaping lawful custody.
PC Samantha Chapman, from the Southern Acquisitive Crime Team, said: “It is utterly shocking to think these robberies were carried out by a young boy.
“The boy has shown no remorse for his violent behaviour, all of which will have a lasting impact on his victims.
“We hope this sentence shows that knife crime and violent, threatening behaviour is not tolerated in Cambridgeshire.”
CCTV footage from the robberies can be viewed on our YouTube Channel.