A hooded knifeman who robbed a Totnes corner shop has been jailed after a brave manager chased him down the road and rugby tackled him.

Raider Alan Prettyjohn held a knife to shop assistant Vicky Coles’s neck and forced her to hand over £762 from the till of the Londis shop in Follaton, Totnes.

A judge had praised the courage of her manager Rob Symes, who chased Prettyjohn as he fled on foot, tackled him, and held him on the ground until police arrived.

Prettyjohn had taken drugs with a friend who dropped him off at the shop before he carried out the raid, which left the shop assistant seriously shocked.

She was on her own in the shop when Prettyjohn carried out the robbery and Mr Symes, who was in a back office, took up the chase after she raised the alarm.

Prettyjohn, aged 41, of Queen Street, Newton Abbot, Devon, admitted robbery and was jailed for eight years by Judge Geoffrey Mercer, QC, at Exeter Crown Court.

He told him: “Mr Symes acted bravely and with great clarity of mind. You produced a kitchen knife and held it to the throat of a woman who was alone in the shop. You swore at her and demanded money which you eventually stole.

“She was quite terrified and who knows what the long-term effects on her will be. On any view, it will be serious.”

Miss Caroline Bolt, prosecuting, said Ms Coles was alone in the shop at 7.30pm on December 21 last year when Prettyjohn went in armed with a large kitchen knife.

Miss Bolt said: “He took money from the till. He was wearing socks on his hands. She was shaking with fear. He made off and was pursued by Mr Symes, who saw him put the knife in a wheelie bin.

“He tackled him and detained him until police arrived. A large amount of cash was recovered and he told the police ‘I made a mistake, I did something stupid, I took drugs in the car and decided to rob the shop.’”

Mr Michael Green, defending, said Prettyjohn had used drugs in the past but come off them until he broke his back in a car crash and was forced to give up work. He had been out with friends on the night of the robbery and had shared drugs with them. He is now disgusted about what he did.