Man jailed for six-and-a-half years after robbing Nelson store at knifepoint

Craig Mellor entered the Spar Shop in Leeds Roads, Nelson, on April 21st wearing a balaclava and brandishing a large knife.

Police recovered CCTV footage which showed Mellor threaten a male member of staff with the knife to get a quantity of cash from the till.

He then moved to a second till where he shouted at a female member of staff to: “Open the till. Open the till. Open the till.”

The female member of staff managed to open the till slightly and get a quantity of cash out, however Mellor continued to berate her to open the till fully.

Once he realised the till wasn’t going to fully open, he fled the scene.

Following a witness appeal featuring a CCTV still, a number of people came forward to identify Mellor as the culprit. He was charged with robbery and possession of a bladed article.

Mellor, of Ruskin Place, Nelson, pleaded guilty to robbery and was sentenced at Preston Crown Court earlier this week.

DS Dave Bowler, of Lancashire Police, said: “Mellor’s actions on April 21 were appalling and left his victims understandably shaken. We will not tolerate the behaviour of anybody who seeks to threaten and rob people who are going about their business of serving the community.

“I would like to thank the public for their help with this case. Their information proved invaluable in helping to gather the evidence to secure this prosecution and subsequent significant sentence.”