BETTING shop worker Mark Giaquinto has spoken of the terrifying moment a masked armed robber poked his face with a gun and tied his hands with tape before making off with hundreds of pounds in cash.

Assistant manager Mr Giaquinto, 25, was preparing to shut the Stroud branch of Betfred in High Street when a man burst through the front door brandishing a handgun around 9.15pm last night, Thursday, August 5.

With his gun raised, he immediately demanded money in a Polish-sounding accent before hurrying towards the shop counter where Mr Giaquinto was sitting.

"I remember hoping it was someone messing about but I soon realised it was not," he said.

"The next thing I knew he was behind the counter with me so I held up the cash and was just thinking take it, take it and go."

The robber was handed the cash in one black plastic box, containing notes, and another blue box of coins.

Not satisfied with this, the robber then ordered him to open the shop safe, which is fitted with a timer to prevent it being opened until 15 minutes after the code is entered.

"I tried to explain this him but it was almost like he did not believe me," added Mr Giaquinto, who has recently completed a law degree at Bristol University.

"That was when he began poking me in the face with his gun and then he told me to get down on my knees and gestured to me to hold out my hands.

"He wrapped thick grey tape around my wrists and was still shouting at me to open the safe and again I told him it was on a timer.

"I could tell he was getting more and more infuriated."

The robber then ripped off the tape and pushed his foot down on the side of Mr Giaquinto’s head – forcing him into the recovery position on the ground.

"I thought about kicking him at that point but then I thought better of it.

"He hovered above me and I could see he was shaking badly.

"He cocked the gun and I remember thinking that it sounded like a BB gun – having said that I do not know what a real gun sounds like."

After a brief struggle with the door leading to the counter, the gunman then fled – running past a customer who had since entered the shop to play a slot machine.

Police arrived at the scene within minutes and Mr Giaquinto was later picked up by his girlfriend.

"I was shaking like a leaf afterwards but I also remember thinking why I was not more scared," he said.

"I really has not sunk in yet."

It is believed between £300 and £400 was stolen in the raid.

Upon leaving the shop, the robber fled along Lansdown in the direction of Slad Road.

He is described as being probably white, with a Polish or Eastern European accent.

He wore a dark scarf over his mouth and nose, sunglasses, a dark woollen hat and thick work gloves during the raid.

He also wore a dark bomber-style jacket with no hood, grey tracksuit bottoms and chunky workman-style boots.

Police are eager to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident or may have seen the offender - particularly a man and woman who are believed to have witnessed him running from the shop.

To help, call 0845 090 1234 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting incident number 465 of August 5.