a day of terror.

The woman was threatened by a knife wielding man as she manned the till at the Enterprise Grocery yesterday afternoon.

The man snatched what is understood to be a few hundred dollars from the cash register and fled on a motor cycle leaving the woman shaken but unharmed.

The shop attendant declined to be interviewed and her name has yet to be revealed but Police press officer Evelyn James Barnett said she was 40-years-old and from Warwick.

Meanwhile her fellow staff member Dawn Simons told The Royal Gazette : "I was downstairs getting stock when everything happened. She came to the top of the steps and told me that the store had been robbed.

"I went and pushed the button (to activate the alarm) and called the owner.

Everything seemed to take so long to happen.'' Ms Simons said she spoke to her work mate who told her that the man had entered the store shortly before the robbery and had purchased a tin of Alpo dog food.

He then left the store but returned immediately afterward and robbed it.

Ms James Barnett said the man pushed the woman up against the wall near the register while brandishing a knife and demanded that she open the till which she did. Ms Simons said it could have been her who was threatened.

"It's usually me at the till at this time because the woman who worked here before her used to knock off at two when I would take over.

Terrifying first day on job "She was supposed to knock off at three and now that's when I take over.

"It was her first day of work. She had only worked here one day before when she relieved me.'' Police officers received the call at about 2.40 p.m. and responded to the scene. They took statements from the two women and drove the cashier around the neighbourhood in an attempt to find the robber.

Scenes of Crime officers blocked off the store's entrance and began dusting for fingerprints and looking for clues.

A sign on the doorway said: "Please remove your helmet, sunshades (and) overcoat. Thank you for your cooperation.'' The store's owner Walter Cross arrived at the scene later and refused to comment.

"I don't want a whole lot of publicity. I don't need a lot of publicity.'' Ms Simons said the store normally got busy late in the afternoon so the robbery was clearly going to hurt business.

As Police officers milled around the scene, shoppers -- including school students and a visiting couple -- were turned away by Ms Simons with the simple explanation: "We're closed for a while.'' The visitors seemed curious about the proceedings and took a seat close to the action to watch the officers at work.

One student was less than thrilled about the impromptu closure.

"You were robbed? After all the money I put into this place. Wait until I see the person that did it,'' he said, smacking his fist into his open palm.'' The man is described as very dark-skinned, between 30 and 40 years of age, approximately five feet, ten inches to six feet tall with a thin build, a very thin beard and shoulder-length thin dreadlocks.

He was wearing a blue windbreaker, washed out blue jeans, a dark crash helmet and oddly shaped dark sunglasses, said Ms James Barnett.