A MANHUNT was launched after a masked intruder threatened two women sales assistants at knifepoint during a thwarted night-time attack on Teignmouth's Tesco Express store.

Police dog teams and the force helicopter were drafted in after the raider grabbed the women as part of a bid to plunder the safe at the Bitton Park Road store on Sunday night.

He held the first woman round the neck as she was disposing of rubbish at the back of the store towards closing time at midnight.

She managed to raise the alarm by banging on a window and alerting colleagues.