A CASHIER at a Worcester service station was terrified when a customer grabbed her to reach his credit card.

Louisa Woodhouse had been instructed in a phone call to retain Alex Warden's card because he owed £1,500.

But he became aggressive at the BP garage in Tolladine Road, pulled her towards him and snatched his TSB card off her.

Miss Woodhouse was shocked and burst into tears, Lee Marklew, prosecuting, told Worcester Crown Court yesterday.

Warden, aged 27, of Old Road, Bromyard, admitted common assault. He denied robbery and his plea was accepted by the prosecution.

Judge Marten Coates gave him an 18-month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay Miss Woodhouse £500 compensation.

The judge said the victim must have been "extremely frightened" to be abused and assaulted while carrying out her job.

The court heard that within a month of obtaining a credit card limit of £500, Warden - who had been released from jail early after serving a sentence for burglary - was £616 in debt.

He made a minor repayment but by February 3 this year owed £1,500 when he went to the service station and asked for £200 of cigarettes, said Mr Marklew.

Miss Woodhouse was told to keep his card after she sought authorisation for the transaction from the credit card company.

Warden, who worked for a survey firm monitoring pipe flows, became aggressive. He was arrested by police 10 minutes after he left without the cigarettes.

Defence counsel David Mason said the defendant reacted because he did not want Miss Woodhouse to keep his card. He told police: "I can't see how it's an assault. I wouldn't hurt her."