DEFIANT and undeterred, a newsagent manageress continued working today after being robbed by a masked raider armed with a screwdriver.It would take more than a threatening robbery to make cool-headed Catherine Claydon, 46, relinquish the job she's held at Jan's Newsagents in Nacton Road, Ipswich for the past 20 years.

By Tracey Sparling

DEFIANT and undeterred, a newsagent manageress continued working today after being robbed by a masked raider armed with a screwdriver.

It would take more than a threatening robbery to make cool-headed Catherine Claydon, 46, relinquish the job she's held at Jan's Newsagents in Nacton Road, Ipswich for the past 20 years.

The manageress was initially surprised when a man who had appeared to be a customer innocently choosing a chocolate bar on Saturday at 4.40pm, turned out to be a robber demanding cash from the till.

Donning an anti-pollution mask, he frantically punched buttons on the till to try and open it, then pushed her to the ground, breaking the stool she had been sitting on.

But it was only when he produced a Phillips screwdriver and held it in front of her face, that Ms Claydon got scared.

She said: "I was doing the monthly accounts when he came in and stood by the chocolate. He looked normal and I thought he was just getting a chocolate bar.

"The next minute he had come round the counter and was on top of me. He pushed me down to sit on the stool, but I came back up again.

"He pushed me down again and I went flying, breaking the stool.

"When I got up he threatened me with a six-inch long Phillips screwdriver. That made me keep back, but I didn't really think about it until afterwards.

"In a gravelly voice which didn't match the person and was obviously put on, he told me to open the till. He was pressing all the buttons but it wouldn't open.

"I calmed myself down and opened it. He looked for £20 notes but there weren't any. I keep the till low, so he didn't get away with much.

"That's when I got my gumption back and said to him 'Sod off'."

Ms Claydon was able to reach and set off an alarm, as the robber ran out and charged through a couple who were walking past with their daughter.

Ms Claydon, who was alone in the shop when the robber struck, opened again early Sunday morning, and admitted she was nervous until daylight came.

But she said: "You have just got to carry on.

"It's the first time this has happened to me in 20 years. There are usually a few paperboys about but they happened to have gone when it happened."

Customers popping in for their papers were today shocked to hear what had happened.

The offender was seen running off down Ransomes Road.

He is described as white, about 6ft tall, and of medium build.

He wore a black hooded top with the hood up, a white face mask which covered his mouth and nose area, cream/white canvas jacket, dark trousers and white training shoes.

Anyone who was in the area at the time, and either witnessed the indcient or recognises the offender from the description should call Dc Dave Dulake on 01473 383092, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.