KNIFE-WIELDING robbers have struck a Lindley convenience store for the second time in a week.
Terrified staff at Jacksons, on Acre Street, were again targeted by thugs carrying knives on Thursday night.
The two men – wearing hoodies – entered the store just after 10pm.
They threatened a tillworker, demanding cash.
The pair then escaped on foot with an undisclosed amount of money.
One is thought to have made off up Plover Road, while the other headed along Acre Street in the direction of the Bay Horse pub.
The men were described as slim, between 5ft 10in and 6ft tall, in their late teens to early 20s and wearing hoodies.
The attack came just six days after the store was raided last Friday in a similar knifepoint incident.
Then the robbers fled with cigarettes and £1,700 in cash.
The store is now working with police to tighten up its security.
The latest spate of attacks on shopkeepers comes after an Examiner survey last month highlighted the concerns of local retailers.
In a questionnaire sent out following the brutal murder of Cowcliffe shopkeeper Gurmail Singh, a shocking 94% of store owners said they felt more threatened than they did five years ago.
A third said they had been victims of violence in the last two years.
While more than two-thirds admitted they had been threatened or intimidated during that time.
Today Shane Brennan, of the Association of Convenience Stores, called for stiffer penalties for criminals targeting shopkeepers.
He said: “Violent incidents against shopkeepers are still there and retailers do worry about this happening to them and their businesses.
“They often feel dealing with the problems they face is not a priority and we want to change that.
“We would like to see a change in the way violent incidents against shopkeepers are treated by the criminal justice system.
“If you attack a police officer or a nurse, you face more severe sanctions.
“Shopkeepers are providing a public service for the community too and any offences against them should be treated in the same way.”
His comments come as five people prepare to go on trial for the murder and robbery of shopkeeper Gurmail Singh on February 20.
The 63-year-old grandfather died from severe head injuries after a robbery at Cowcliffe Convenience Stores.
Umare Aslam, 20, of Coniston Avenue, Dalton, and Muawaz Khalid, 20, of Blackmoorfoot Road, Crosland Moor, along with three 17-year-olds who cannot be named for legal reasons, will appear at Bradford Crown Court in June.
Anyone with information about the Lindley shop raids is asked to contact Huddersfield CID on 0845 6060606 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
