A 14-year-old staff member was assaulted with a small axe during an armed robbery at Launceston's Cold Rock Ice Creamery on Saturday night, in what police have described as a cowardly act.
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Police allege a man, dressed in black and wearing a motorcycle helmet, entered the Charles Street store about 9.25pm armed with a tomahawk axe.
Northern Inspector Adam Mollineaux said the man jumped the store's counter and assaulted the male staff member while demanding money from the till.
The man then fled the scene on a motorcycle ridden by a second person who was waiting outside the store, police say, making off with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Inspector Mollineaux said the Cold Rock employee was not physically injured in the incident, but was understandably shaken.
"Incidents like this are always concerning," Inspector Mollineaux said.
"We are talking about a cowardly act that occurred upon a 14-year-old who was simply doing their job on a Saturday night.
"Somebody out there knows who these people are and knows who these cowards are and I urge people to please come forward with information."
Inspector Mollineaux said a second employee, an 18-year-old female, witnessed the incident but was not injured either.
The motorcycle was last seen heading north on Charles Street, in the vicinity of Paterson Street.
Northern CIB are seeking information from anyone who may have dash-cam footage, or may have seen a motorbike with a rider and a passenger in the Launceston CBD area prior to or after the robbery.
Information can be provided anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au.
Inspector Mollineaux said police were following a number of specific lines of inquiry, in what's understood to be a random incident.