by Dan Bloom

A shopkeeper has spoken of his shock after he was robbed at gunpoint – for less than £200.

Kanthaiah Arivalakan (pictured left with his wife Janarthany) was behind the counter at AJ News in Borstal when two robbers burst in.

He said the men, one wearing a helmet, emptied his till and took cigarettes before tying his hands and legs together and escaping on a motorbike.

But they only got away with about £150 because the till had just been emptied.

The 37-year-old shopkeeper, who has a baby daughter, said: “He showed me the gun and said ‘give me the money’. He was taking it slowly and the other person jumped behind the counter and took the cigarettes.”

Police are appealing for witnesses and have released CCTV images of the robbery, which happened at 8.40pm on Saturday, December 22.

They said the crime could be linked to another armed robbery at a post office in Milton Regis, Sittingbourne, on December 10.

The shopkeeper took over last year with his wife Janarthany,27, who said they were both shaken up.

She said: “It makes us angry when you work hard and suddenly this happens.”

But she added: “Though we lost the money and the cigarettes, we thank God because no harm came to us.”

Her husband said: “I’m trusting the police to find the people who did this.”

CCTV image from the shop showing the two men

One of the men is described as about 6ft 3in and stocky, and was wearing a grey, hooded top, grey gloves, dark trousers and a white and blue crash helmet with a circular motif.

The other man is described as about 5ft 11in and thin, and was wearing a white baseball cap, a black jacket with a white or yellow vertical stripe down the front and black shoes. He was also wearing what appeared to be a dark cover over his mouth.

Anyone with information is asked to contact DC Dave Godden on 101 quoting reference XY/039327/12. To stay anonymous, call Kent Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.