SHOPPERS and staff at a village shop have been left extremely traumatised' after an attack by masked raiders armed with a gun.

A teenage girl and an elderly woman were both directly threatened by the raider brandishing the weapon on Friday night in what detectives have called an extremely serious' incident.

The gunman pointed the gun in the face of the woman and in the back of the teenager.

The pair, along with three staff members, are recovering from shock and police are very keen to speak to two other customers who were possibly in the Co-op Shop in Mercer Street, Burtonwood, at the time of the raid.

DC Emily Cole, who is heading up the investigation, said: "It was an extremely serious offence which has left all the victims involved traumatised.

"We believe there was another woman with a child in the store at the time and we are keen to speak to these people too."

The attack happened at 8.45pm. Two men, both with Merseyside accents and wearing dark clothing, pushed the gun in the back of a 15-year-old girl outside the shop.

They pushed her inside the shop before pointing the weapon in the face of the 67-year-old customer who was doing her grocery shopping.

The men stole cash before heading off on foot towards Clay Lane.

DC Cole added: "We want to speak to anyone in the area, anyone who may have seen anything suspicious."

Detectives are also liaising with Merseyside Police and investigating if the men were local.

Anyone with information should call DS Cole on 01244 615859 or Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555111.