A masked man allegedly armed with a knife entered a grocery store located in Triq il-Wied, Birkirkara, with the intent to steal, the police said in a statement.

The attempted robbery occurred on Sunday at around 10pm.

The police said that from a preliminary investigation, it found that the masked man entered the shop and demanded money from the employee, a 34-year-old Eritrean man, who immediately locked the cash register.

Upon seeing this, the police said that the thief assaulted the cashier with a glass bottle which he found in the shop, and the two then ended up fighting with each other. The police continued that the thief then fled the scene a short time later without managing to get anything.

The 34-year-old man went to a health centre, where he was certified with minor injuries.

Magistrate Ian Farrugia was informed of the case and appointed an inquiry. Police investigations are still ongoing.