A MAN threatened terrified staff during a gunpoint raid at a convenience store in Southampton tonight.

The man staged his attack at the Dallas Supermarket in Northam Road at 7.36pm.

Police were called to the scene after receiving reports of an “armed robbery” and staff being threatened.

A man has been arrested and a weapon recovered – which was later identified as a BB gun.

No one was injured in the incident and police remain at the scene.

They have erected a cordon around the store - which is on the ground floor of the three-storey Princes Court building.

The police tape stretched around a neighbouring shop and part of the walkway where some shocked residents stood and watched police carrying out investigations there.

Two police cars and a white police van were parked at the roadside and one officer guarded the shop.

A 35-year-old man who was visiting his mother who lives nearby said he heard that staff had been threatened by someone.

He said: "It's very shocking that it has happened here. I feel sorry for the workers. I often go to the shop when visiting my mum and the staff are good as gold."

Another man told the Echo: "We've lived here all these years and haven't heard of anything like this. Northam is not a rough area."

A police spokeswoman said: “We were called at 7.36pm to a report of man with a gun in the store threatening staff.

“We have detained a man and recovered the gun, which has been identified as a BB gun.

“Thankfully, no one was injured in the incident.

“We remain on scene at this time.”