A SHOP keeper has described the moment a teenage thug pulled a knife on him... for two bottles of strawberry Ribena.

Yogesh Patel, 55, was working at his shop Yosha Confectionary in Wickford on Tuesday night when two hooded thugs came in.

Mr Patel, who has run the shop in Alderney Gardens for 20 years, said: “They both had hoods up and one was standing by the drink fridge.

“The other one took a drink and then went to the ice cream freezer and as he came to pay, his friend ran out of the shop with two bottles of strawberry Ribena.

“I asked the one at the till if he was going to pay for his friend and he told me it was nothing to do with him.”

Mr Patel decided to go and challenge the teen, who he believes was about 16-years-old.

He added: “I didn’t want him coming back the following day and doing it while my wife was there so I went and asked him to pay for them and he refused.

“I saw his bike on the floor and went to pull it into the shop and that’s when he pulled a knife from his pocket.

“I wasn’t frightened - he was very young. He had the front to pull it and didn’t even seem scared when I challenged him.

“But I don’t want him to come back day after day so felt I had to try and do something.”

The police were called, but the teens made off before they could get there.

A member of the public was threatened by the teen with the knife too before they rode off on bikes towards Haslemere Road. 

The suspects were described as white and one was wearing a black cap with a light blue Puffa-type jacket. Anyone with information is asked Basildon CID on 101 quoting crime reference 42/149116/19 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.