TWO female shop assistants were threatened with knives during a robbery at a supermarket.

Two young men with their faces covered entered Cookes Stores at Tankerton, near Whitstable, on Tuesday evening.

The women handed over money from the till but were forced to the back of the shop and ordered to give the men more money from the safe.

The robbers also took mobile phone cards and cigarettes worth £1,000 before making off through a rear door and towards the beach.

Police officers searched the area with dogs but found no trace of the men who are described as white, aged between 17 and 18 and wearing dark hooded tops and jeans.

A store spokesman said the members of staff had been given time off to recover from their ordeal. "It was a very scary thing for them to go through," he said.

Detectives are now waiting to see if CCTV footage will give them any leads. A police spokesman said there were some similarities with a raid on a Threshers off licence in Herne Bay but it was too soon to link them.

Any witnesses are asked to telephone Det Sgt Dave Chewteron 01227 762055.