Chesterfield shopkeeper's terrifying Russian Roulette robbery ordeal

A man wearing a Halloween mask threatened shopkeeper Annette Dinnen with the imitation firearm during the raid in Old Whittington.

The man ripped the heavy shop till from the wall before running out of the shop and down Whittington Hill on Friday at 7pm.

Annette 57, said: "He came into the shop and he just looked like an old man - I wasn't scared at that point.

"He was looking at the spirits shelf and his face wasn't really visible.

Then he told me to open the till. I realised he was wearing a mask.

"I refused and just froze and cuddled up in the corner. He got something out of his pocket and he was clicking it at me. It was like Russian Roulette.

"I thought I was going to die. I wondered when the bullet was going to come."

She said the robber tried opening the till himself before ripping it off the wall and running off with it.

He is described as around 5ft 8in tall and of medium build . He was wearing a black or grey beanie hat, a black shiny jacket and dark trousers.

Anette was not physically hurt but said she had been left traumatised by the incident.

She said she had only been in the shop for six months which she had taken on to have a quiet retirement.“I have just taken the business on and now I don’t want to be here any more.

“I just remembered his feet were massive and it is on my mind as I look at people coming in.He could be anybody. “I am very scared.”Her son Finley Dinnen said: “ People are always stealing minor things round here like sweets but you don’t expect this sort of thing.

He ran down the street with the till so someone must have seen something - even if they didn’t know what it was. at the time“He has ruined my mum’s life and when he is caught it will ruin his. Please help the police catch him.”

Officers want to speak to anyone who has any information, was in the area at the time or who may have been driving in the area and have dashcam footage that shows the offender leaving the scene.

Anyone with information should contact Derbyshire police using any of the below methods, including reference number 19*489925 in any correspondence: