A card shop manager has been robbed at knifepoint - less than a week into her job.

Suzanne Mingham, 24, was working her first Sunday at Birthdays in Bank Street, Bradford, when she was threatened by a man brandishing a 12-inch knife.

Despite being blocked in behind the till by the robber, she managed to stay calm and followed company policy by handing over some money.

She said: "He was more nervous than me. He was very jittery. He waited outside until the shop was empty and then came in.

"He was in and out within a couple of minutes. I looked up and acknowledged him and thought he looked suspicious, but I didn't want to antagonise him. He walked straight up to me and blocked me in behind the counter.

"He took out the knife and showed me he had it, but didn't do anything violent with it."

Suzanne, pictured right with shop assistant Julie Fox, said the robbery, which occurred at about 2pm, happened so quickly she didn't have time to be frightened.

"I just got on with it," she said. "I didn't really feel anything. We get it drummed into us and as a manager I drum it into all the staff to just give them the money."

Birthdays is one of the few shops open on a Sunday in Bradford city centre.

"Other shops like Waterstones and Superdrug would have had more members of staff in - we were easy pickings," she said.

Today Bob Kaye, Birthdays' company secretary, said: "The security of our staff and customers is paramount to us and that goes beyond any sum of money. The manageress behaved very professionally and simply allowed the chap to take what was there.

"We are constantly reviewing our policy on security and will continue to do so."

The robber is described as white, aged about 20 to 30, 5ft 9in tall, with a round, puffy face and a few days' stubble. He had short, brown hair and was wearing grey or black jeans and a black sweatshirt.

Police are linking him to a robbery on a 13-year-old Clayton boy which occurred at about the same time on Sunday. The teenager was approached outside the Telegraph & Argus building in Hall Ings by a "rough-looking" man who threatened to punch him unless he handed over his money. The boy handed over £15 in cash and the robber ran off.

The boy said the man wore a black baseball cap with red lettering designed like dripping blood, and a black, silk puffa jacket and black jeans.

Anyone with information on either incident is asked to contact Bradford Police on (01274) 376459.