Employee traps Qld petrol station bandit

A knife-wielding man has smashed his way out of a Cairns petrol station after being locked inside by an employee during an attempted armed robbery.

After failing to open the cash register, the man escaped by pulling one of the doors towards him until it shattered and jumping through the broken glass.

The petrol station employee, 50, then tackled the would-be robber before the offender pulled a knife and threatened him.

The offender fled the Brinsmead service station empty-handed without injuring the employee.