A FIFTEEN-year-old boy who robbed a store at gunpoint has been locked up.

A FIFTEEN-year-old boy who robbed a store at gunpoint has been locked up.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, burst into Hartford Stores, in Main Road, Huntingdon, with an accomplice at 3.45pm on October 9 last year.

Both robbers were wearing balaclavas and had hoods pulled up over their heads.

One of the offenders pointed a long-barrelled gun at a 24-year-old member of staff and demanded he hand over cash.

They grabbed more than �1,000 and some rolling tobacco before running off.

Police recovered clothes and a gun nearby. DNA from those items led them to arrest the Huntingdon teenager.

He denied robbery and possession of a firearm, but a jury at Peterborough Crown Court took less than two hours to convict him on both counts earlier this month. He was sentenced to three-and-a-half-years in custody on Thursday (November 25).

Detective Constable Karin Peters, who led the investigation, said: “This was a terrifying experience for the member of staff and that is reflected in the sentence passed by the courts.

“I hope the sentence puts out a strong message that, no matter what your age, this type of crime is not acceptable and offenders face a long spell behind bars.”