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A teenager who brandished a knife as he tried to raid a store was fought off with a wooden stick by brave shop staff.
The offender, who cannot be named because of his age, used the blade to demand money from a shop worker in Boughton-under-Blean, near Faversham.
He entered the Premier store in The Street at about 8.40pm on March 2 - wearing a black balaclava.
The 17-year-old boy then threatened a staff member standing behind the till.
Two other members of staff saw the incident happening on CCTV and came to the worker’s assistance.
During a scuffle, which saw the trio fend off the boy with the wooden pole, the robber dropped his knife and a quantity of cash he had stolen.
His balaclava was also removed, and someone was able to take a phone of him on a mobile phone before he left the premises.
The teenager was recognised from the photograph and police officers arrested him the same evening.
He pleaded guilty to robbery and possessing a knife at Canterbury Crown Court and was locked up for four years in a young offender’s institution.
DS Jay Robinson said: "Four years is a substantial sentence to be imposed on a child and reflects the severity of his offending.
"It is completely intolerable to carry a weapon on our streets, let alone use it on an innocent victim, and I hope this young offender uses his time in custody to reflect upon his actions and change his ways."
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