WIDNES CID are appealing for witnesses to come forward with information on a particularly violent robbery at Hough Green Post Office.

Three men were involved in the robbery which took place at12.20pm on Wednesday afternoon when an amount of money and papers were stolen.

The postmaster, his wife and one customer saw two men enter the shop. One stood by the door while the other pushed past the customer.

He then approached the postmaster and his wife, pointed a handgun at them and repeatedly demanded money. When they refused to hand over any cash, he began to smash through the security screen with the butt of the gun.

Eventually the man smashed through the screen and seized money and papers from behind the counter.

Both men then left the shop and made off in the direction of Liverpool in a green E-registered Mazda 626 driven by a third male.

The car was later found abandoned in the Stocksbridge village area of Liverpool.

DS Phil Gill from Widnes CID said: "This was a very nasty attack and very traumatic for the people involved.

"We would like to hear from anyone who may have seen the men in the car park beforehand, where they probably put on their disguise.

"We need more witnesses to come forward who may have seen this vehicle or anything suspicious."

Although the gun was not fired, the postmaster and his wife were said to be very shaken by the incident.

Police have issued detailed descriptions of the three men.

The robber is described as a white male, aged 20-30, 5 feet 6-8 tall, of medium build and clean-shaven. He wore a dark top, a dark woollen hat, glasses and spoke with a Liverpool accent.

The man who stood by the door is described as a white male, aged 20-30, 5 feet10 inches to six feet tall, of slim build with short, dark brown or black hair. He wore a light-coloured short-sleeved shirt or T-shirt and a light-coloured cap.

The driver of the car was white, aged around 30, with a skinhead haircut. Anyone with information can contact Widnes CID on 0151-424 7431 or Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555 111.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.