Terrifying CCTV shows man wielding meat cleaver rob West Lothian Premier store

At around 8.15pm on Thursday, June 26, a balaclava-clad man dressed in a grey tracksuit entered Armadale's PremierLower Bathville store before raising a large knife and stealing around £2,000 from the register.

CCTV from behind the shop counter appears to show the suspect make his way behind the counter holding with a meat cleaver. He then shoves the store assistant backwards before instructing him to ‘empty the till now’.

On Thursday, June 26, a man threatened staff with a weapon at the Premier store in Armadale, West Lothian, before stealing approximately £2,000 in cash and running off | Submitted

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Abdul Manan, who owns the Premier convenience store said he ‘we’ve had minor incidents in the past but nothing like this’ adding the store assistant was ‘shaken but is doing ok’.

Abdul, who was not in the store at the time, said he was first alerted to the incident after the store clerk, Atta, contacted him immediately after it happened.

Abdul said: “Atta told me there's been a robbery at the shop but the first thing I wanted to know was that he was ok. He said he was so I said just hang up and call the police and I'm on my way. He's been working in the shop for quite a while and that's the first time this has ever happened.

The suspect was captured entering and exiting the Premier store on Lower Bathville, West Lothian | Submitted

“I believe the man was seen at around 7.45pm standing at the bus stop next to the shop for half an hour, keeping an eye on the store just to see when he can go when there's nobody around. And then he's went in the shop about 8.15pm with what seemed to be a meat cleaver.

“Atta was getting ready to close the shop for 9pm, clean the shop, mop everything etc and that’s when it happened. Nearly £2,000 pounds was stolen.

“The police were here until around 2am on Friday and forensics have been out. Because I shared the CCTV video on social media lots of people have come back to me as well with information and I have given that to the police.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Police received a report of a robbery at a premises on Lower Bathville in Armadale around 8.20pm on Thursday, 26 June, 2025. A man threatened staff with a weapon before stealing approximately £2,000 in cash and running off. No-one was injured.

“Officers attended and enquiries are ongoing to trace the man.”