An armed raider threatened the manager of a Black Country bookies before fleeing with cash.

The manager of Pagebet in Brockmoor, Brierley Hill, was alone in the betting shop when the masked man burst in and brandished a weapon an hour after opening yesterday morning.

She activated a panic button and handed over money from the till.

The company will not disclose the sum but said it was “only a small amount”.

Although not injured, the member of staff was badly shaken but insisted on working until the end of her shift at the shop in High Street.

The robbery, which was over in about 10 seconds, was captured on the shop’s CCTV system, said general manager Graham Tower.

He said: “The manager reacted really well and did well to protect herself. Our policy is, staff should not challenge anyone in these circumstances. When she rang to tell us what happened, she was crying but very quickly pulled herself together and wanted to work until the end of her shift.

“Our priority was to make sure the member of staff involved was ok.”