A ROBBER carried out a knife-point raid on an Accrington off-licence — and then phoned the police to confess.

Stephen Meakin, 26, of no fixed abode, was one of two men who pleaded guilty to robbing Bargain Booze in Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors, at Burnley Crown Court today.

Meakin and Daniel McGrath, 26, of Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors, admitted the raid which happened at 5.30pm on Saturday, February, 5.

They threatened the 22-year-old shop assistant with a six-inch hunting knife before demanding money and running away with hundreds of pounds.

Meakin also pleaded guilty to possession of a weapon in a public place.

Shortly after the robbery, police received a phone call from Meakin confessing to the robbery.

The pair, who were also captured on CCTV inside the store, were both arrested the following afternoon.

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Sergeant Paul Langley said: “This was a very frightening ordeal for the shop assistant who was working in the shop on his own at the time.

“Clearly Meakin was feeling some remorse for what he had done although it is very unusual to receive a phone call confession from an offender.

“The phone call, combined with the CCTV footage from the store and the knife and the hooded jackets which were recovered from McGrath’s home address, provided the police with over whelming evidence and I am pleased they have pleaded guilty at court today.”

Both Meakin and McGrath will be sentenced at Burnley Crown Court on September 2.