BY TOBY ROBINSON

POLICE are appealing for witnesses after masked robbers struck twice in Crewe on Thursday.

The first incident occurred at around 8.30pm in the Happy Shopper on Bramhall Road.

Two men entered the premises armed with knives and threatened a 36-year-old female cashier demanding money from the till.

The two then made their escape by foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.

The first is described as a white male, aged in his early 20's, of medium build and between 5ft 4ins and 5ft 6ins tall.

He was wearing dark clothing and had a navy blue or dark coloured bobble hat pulled down over his face with two eye holes cut out.

He had a blue and white backpack and spoke with a local accent.

The second is also described as a white male with a slim build and stood approximately 5ft 8ins tall.

He was wearing a navy blue bobble hat pulled down to his eyebrows along with a beige scarf rolled around his lower face.

He was also wearing a maroon short-sleeve polo shirt and jeans and again spoke with a local accent.

The second incident occurred earlier at Joynsons Newsagent in Middlewich Street at 8.45am.

A man entered the store armed with a steel knife and demanded money from the shopkeeper but he refused and the offender left empty-handed.

The offender is a white male, between 5ft 6ins and 5ft 8ins, well built with short dark hair.

He is thought to be aged in his early 20's and wore a woollen hat pulled down over his face with eye holes cut out, along with a light blue padded jacket, blue jeans and white trainers.

It is not thought that the two incidents are linked.

Police are appealing for any witnesses, either prior to the incidents or as the robbers made their escape, to call Crewe CID on 01270 500222 or confidentially on the Crimestoppers line on 0800 555111.