CALL THE COPS, I'M A ROBBER; Russian's deportation bid.

Byline: Stuart Patterson

A RUSSIAN was so desperate to be sent home that he robbed a shop and told two terrified staff: "You can call the police now."

Ruslan Kolosovs, 28, had brandished a knife and demanded cash - then dumped the weapon and his haul on the counter.

He walked outside, smoked a cigarette and drank from a bottle of wine while waiting to be arrested.

But due to a paperwork mix-up, he was not handed over to immigration officials when his 12-month sentence at Glenochil Prison, Stirling, ended - so he is roaming Scotland's streets again.

Labour's justice spokesman Richard Baker said: "This is totally bizarre. I think there are questions that have to be asked about how this case was handled."

A spokeswoman for the UK Border Agency confirmed a search for Kolosovs was under way. She said: "We are working with the police to locate this individual." At Aberdeen Sheriff Court in November, Kolosovs admitted the raid on the Co-Op near where he lived in Portlethen, near Aberdeen.

Shopworker Kelly Webster, 25, pressed a panic button to alert police and handed over around pounds 800 from the till.

Yesterday, she said: "It must've been the most half-hearted robbery ever. It was scary seeing the knife but I calmed down very quickly as it was clear he did not want to hurt us."

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FREE: Kolosovs is back on the streets after a mix-up