A masked teenager robbed a newsagent worker at knifepoint after threatening to kill her before running off with more than £3,400 in cash.

But police tracked the culprit using CCTV to a nearby area in Stour Close in Strood and lay in wait the next morning.

It was then that officers saw Alex Kramer, who fitted the description of the robber, emerging sporting brand new trainers.

Kramer, 17, of Stour Close, admitted robbery, possessing a knife in public, possessing criminal property and cannabis and was given an 18 month Detention and Training Order.

Prosecutor Peter Alcock told Maidstone Crown Court at 6am on March 27, the victim June Harvey was working in the newsagents shop in Darnley Road, Strood.

“She heard the bell sound and saw a man in a hood who jumped over the counter.

"He was holding a 12-inch towards her and said: ‘Open the safe and you won’t get hurt'."

Kramer warned if she disobeyed his order he would slash or stab her, the court heard.

The teenager then took the cash and then grabbed cigarettes as he ran away as Ms Harvey called the police.

The prosecutor added that police watched the store's CCTV and noted Kramer's clothes including ''bright white trainers and Nike joggers' and an Adidas backpack''.

The following day two officers saw a man smoking cannabis in the street who matched the description of the robber, who told them: "I am going to accept it. I did it. I knew the risks."

Mr Alcock said the victim had since left her job because of the fear she had been suffering from flashbacks and nightmares.

She said in her victim impact statement:"I was so scared. I can't get this image of this tall dark figure out of my head. I no longer feel safe working there."

Jane Gambrill, defending, said Kramer regrets what he has done because his victim was a woman.

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