POLICE have launched an investigation following a knife-wielding thief made off with £200 from a shop till.

Essex Police is appealing for witnesses and more information following the reported robbery at a store on South Road in South Ockendon at around 6pm on Monday.

A man, who was allegedly “holding a knife”, entered the store before demanding money be taken from the till and leaving the area via Quince Tree Close.

He was described as a black man, 5ft 10 inches tall, slim build and in his mid-20s, wearing a black padded coat, black hoodie, grey joggers and white trainers.

A police spokesperson said: “Detectives investigating a robbery are asking for witnesses and information to the incident in South Ockendon.

“If you have any information, CCTV, dash cam or other footage in relation to this incident, then please get in contact with us.

“You can let us know by submitting a report on our website or by using our online Live Chat service which is available 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week.

“It can be found at the bottom right of our homepage at www.essex.police.uk. Visit www.essex.police.uk/digital101 to find out more about our website reporting services. Alternatively, you can call us on 101. In an emergency always call 999.

“If you would like to make an anonymous report, you can contact independent charity on Twitter at @CrimestoppersUK, by visiting their website or by calling 0800 555 111.

“Please quote crime reference 42/160501/24 when providing any information to make sure it gets to the right person as quickly as possible.”