A SHOPLIFTER pulled a knife on a security guard while trying to escape a city retail park, a court heard.

Trevor Francis, of no fixed abode, denies one count of threatening another with a bladed article.

Oxford Crown Court heard at the start of his trial yesterday how the 40-year old was spotted on CCTV inside Boots at Oxford Retail Park on the afternoon of September 2.

There, together with his partner, jurors were told, he was seen to place a number of items inside a bag before leaving the store out into the car park.

Eagle-eyed security guard Javaid Hussain, saw what was going on from the CCTV control room, prosecutors said, and immediately chased after the woman with Francis following behind him.

While out in the car park, the court heard, the woman ran off in another direction leaving Mr Hussain to chase Francis, who went on to threaten him with a knife telling him ‘I am going to stab you’.

From the witness box yesterday Mr Hussain said: "[Francis] said 'get back otherwise I will smash your face and I will stab you' and he kept running.

"I was following one person because both were in a different direction.

"All of a sudden he put his hand in his jacket and took the knife out."

The court heard that Francis continued to threaten the security guard before dropping the blade on the floor and fleeing in the direction of Barns Road.

An image of the knife was also shown to the jury, which appeared to have a short curved blade that was rainbow-coloured.

Mr Hussain told jurors that he initially thought the knife was 'a toy' when it was produced because of the variety of colours on it, but soon realised it was real before collecting it for police.

Francis denies having a knife or making any threats and the trial, expected to last two days, continues.