A store worker has spoken of the moment he took shelter in a customer's car during a horror machete robbery.
Nagaraju Arepelly had been working behind the till at the Night and Day store on Gracemount Drive when the drama unfolded on Sunday.
The 29-year had been on shift alone when the terrifying situation escalated as a thief approached the till.
It wasn't until he revealed a weapon, concealed underneath his top, that the stunned shopkeeper realised what was happening.
Speaking to the Daily Record, Nagaraju said: "He wanted me to give him money and everything. I said 'what' and he lifted his t-shirt and showed me the weapon.
"I don't know for sure what weapon it was, he didn't pull it out, he just lifted up his top and showed me it.
"It was black in colour, I don't know what it was."
Eyewitnesses are understood to have reported to police the weapon was a 'machete'.
The thief lunged over the till as he scrambled to steal cash.
The quick-thinking shop worker dashed outside in a bid to lock the thief in the store but realised his keys were still inside.
A customer parked outside, who saw what was happening, called on Nagaraju to take refuge in her car.
He said: "I just started moving away, as soon as I took three steps away, he jumped over the till and was touching this and that.
"I tried to go outside and lock him in but I forgot my key while he was still behind the till so I couldn't go back.
"When I came outside and shouted, the lady I'd served just before was about to start her car when she suddenly shouted at me to come and get in the car.
"I got in the car and we were calling police."
Nagaraju had been working in the shop alone at the time of the incident and hadn't noticed the thief come in.
He said: "His face was completely covered with masks. I couldn't even see his eyes, they were completely covered.
"I'm wasn't scared at all, I was surprised because I saw the lady just a few seconds before and assumed he was a customer."
The 'man' made off with around £500 before armed cops descended on the store.
Nagaraju, who lives in Edinburgh, says he has had some issues with kids 'teasing' him before but this is the first incident of its kind while he's worked at the local store.
Despite his ordeal, the brave worker continued his shift that night and was back behind the till on Monday.
He added: "I worked until 7pm last night, I don't want to be scared.
"This is the first time for me, I never run away from anything."
An investigation into the robbery is underway and police say enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were called around 2.55pm on Sunday 9 January, to a report of a robbery at a premises in Gracemount Drive, Edinburgh.
“Officers, including firearms officers, attended. No one was injured and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.”
