Howard County police are searching for a gunman who held up an Ellicott City convenience store early yesterday.

The robber entered the Shell Food Market in the 8500 block of Route 40 shortly after 4 a.m., displayed a handgun and demanded money, then fled after the clerk gave him an undisclosed sum from a cash register, police said.

No one was injured, police said.

The robber is described as a white male, between 5 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 140 to 150 pounds, with medium-length blond hair, police said.

POLICE LOG

* Elkridge: 5600 block of Furnace Ave.: Someone stole an undisclosed amount of cash and checks from Decker Bros. between 6 p.m. Tuesday and 8 a.m. Wednesday. There were no signs of forced entry. It's possible that a door was left unlocked.

6800 block of Route 1: Tools were stolen from J. E. Fritts Associates and John Feezer Co. between 9:30 p.m. Tuesday and 6 a.m. Wednesday when someone entered three storage trailers by breaking the clamps on padlocks.

* North Laurel: 9400 block of Woodsong Court: A tan 1990 Ford Ranger truck with Maryland tags 0A9419 was stolen Monday morning, police said.