AN 18-year-old who robbed a convenience store with a '12-inch-blade' left the owners 'struggling to sleep'.

Joseph Light, from Burnley, was sentenced to 42 months in a young offenders institution for robbery and being in possession of a knife.

Preston Crown Court heard Light entered the Clarence News store in Oxford Road with a friend and both had their hoods up.

Shopkeeper Mohammed Mahmood and his wife were preparing to close the shop shortly before 9pm in December last year.

The duo approached the staff and Mrs Mahmood 'shouted in Punjabi' before they both approached her husband behind the counter.

The court heard Light, from Oxford Road, pushed the knife towards Mr Mahmood's face and he thought 'he was about to be stabbed'.

Light then took a bunch of £5 and £10 notes from the till, totalling around £300 before running from the shop.

CCTV was in place in the store which 'visibly showed the knife' Light had in his possession.

The court heard police searched Light's home and could not find the knife or money, but found the 'distinctive shoes' seen in the CCTV hidden in a nearby cellar.

Prosecutor Nicholas Flanagan said shopkeeper Mr Mahmood recognised Light as he had previously been caught shoplifting and banned from the store.

Mr Flanagan said: "He had spoke to his wife and considered selling the business.

"For some time after they struggled to sleep and they would wake up gasping for breath."

However the reaction and support from customers made the shopkeeper feel 'valued in the community', Mr Flanagan said.

The couple had owned the shop for 15 years.

Judge Beverley Lunt said Light had been in court several times since he was 13 for a variety of petty crimes, which was an 'appalling record'.

She said: "This young man has real problems.

"This wasn't a sophisticated offence, it was a very nasty robbery."

Douglas Stuart, speaking for the defence, said Light had a history of issues with 'drugs and behavioural difficulties' but was looking to recover.

He had decided around six weeks ago to go into the recovery wing and has been 'feeling considerably better' since, the court heard.

The judge also granted a restraining order on Light for Mr and Mrs Mahmood, stopping him from coming into contact with them or within 200 metres of their shop for five years.

Judge Lunt said Light would serve up to half of the 42 month sentence before being released, and then would be sent to complete the remainder of his sentence if he was to commit another crime.