Cops are hunting a thug who held a shopkeeper at knifepoint to steal a bottle of Buckfast.

The man, armed with a bladed weapon, threatened a 59-year-old shopkeeper before making off with a large bottle of the tonic wine.

He was caught on CCTV and police have now released images in a bid to catch the crook who subjected the store worker to a "frightening experience".

The incident happened at the Londis store on Motherwell St, Airdrie, Lanarkshire, on Sunday 22 October.

The thug was able to flee down the town's Drumbathie Road.

He is described as white, in his mid-20s, 5 ft 10 in height, of medium build, with short receding hair which is shaven at the sides.

He also has a distinctive tattoo on his neck featuring writing and symbols.

The man was wearing a yellow high visibility jacket, a dark coloured PUMA hooded top, dark trousers and grey trainers.

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A police spokeman said: "The male has been seen clearly on CCTV, he is described as being mid 20’s shaved in hair at the sides and has a distinctive tattoo on the left hand side of his neck."

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Buckfast is a drink with a chequered past owing largely to both its high alcohol and caffeine content.

Since 2014, the drink has been linked to more than 6,500 reports of antisocial behaviour and violence in Scotland.

And in 2015, the Scottish Prison Service reported that more than 43 per cent of inmates had consumed Buckfast before their last offence, despite accounting for less than one per cent of Scotland's total alcohol sales.