A TEENAGER pointed what appeared to be a handgun at a terrified a 20-year-old shop assistant and demanded cash as she was serving in a Crawshawbooth off-licence.

The attempted armed robbery in the Burnley Road off-licence owned by Geoff and Brenda Law was foiled after their son activated an alarm and ordered the man to leave.

On the same night four cars were broken into at Crawshawbooth Motor Repairs and this week windows have been smashed at the local hairdresser's.

Owner of Crawshawbooth Motor Repairs David Ashworth said: "We have more problems lately here than in Liverpool!"

Police have CCTV footage from the off-licence and are hoping people in the area may recognise the teenager, who was wearing distinctive scruffy clothing, which Det-Sgt Stuart Barlow said would have stood out in Crawshawbooth.

When the 18 to 19-year-old man left the shop empty-handed he was still brandishing what appeared to be a handgun which he had used to demand cash from a 20-year-old shop assistant.

He was 6ft, skinny with light eyes, and was wearing natural coloured tights over his head and a woollen type hat or hood.

He was wearing a thin and worn black bomber jacket elasticated at the bottom and black or blue Adidas tracksuit bottoms which had distinctive three white stripes on the side that ended at the knee and there was a rip on the right knee. he was wearing trainers with a very large white heel.

The man spoke with a local accent.

Police are not linking the break-ins at the garage with the attempted robbery and are not linking that incident with a previous attempted armed robbery at the nearby post office.

Brenda Law said: "We have had the business for 15 years and never had anything like this happen. The assistant was very shocked by what happened."

The robber entered the shop at 9.20pm on Thursday pointed what appeared to be an eight-inch hand gun at the assistant and demanded money. Mrs Law's son Tony heard what happened and he came into the shop and pressed the panic alarm and told the man to leave.

Mrs Law said: "Tony is 34 and about 6ft and the lad just left. It was all over in about a minute and he didn't get any money. We never keep much money in the till, anyway."

Mr Ashworth said three of the vehicles damaged belonged to customers and were awaiting repair. The fourth, a Renault Clio, was his own vehicle.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Rossendale CID on 01706 237442.