TWO shop assistants were held hostage by armed raiders in a robbery at an off-licence on Tuesday night.

The two store workers, aged 56 and 68, were preparing to lock up for the night at the Co-op Late Shop, Newbrook Road, Over Hulton, when three raiders burst in.

The gang threatened the men with a 15-inch spanner before bundling them into a store room where they were forced to open a safe.

The gang filled bags with a large amount of cash, cheques and electric meter cards. One raider then held the men in the room as the two others filled a wastepaper bin with a large quantity of cigarettes from behind the till.

The gang escaped in a red Honda car before the shop assistants dialled 999 to raise the alarm. No customers were inside at the time.

Det Insp Martin Freschini, of Astley Bridge CID, said today: "The shop workers escaped unhurt but they were threatened with violence. It left them very shaken up.

"They were held in the stockroom by one man as two others put the cigarettes in a bin. We need to catch them and appeal to anyone who saw the robbery or the car to call us."

CCTV security images from the store were being studied today. A Co-op spokesman said:

From Page 1

"We take these matters very seriously and we will be working with the police. Staff and customer safety is our main priority."

The armed robbery, at 9.50pm, may be linked to an incident just 15 minutes earlier at the Travel Inn near the Beehive Pub off the Chorley Old Road, Horwich.

A 23-year-old man staying in a room at the hotel was woken by a noise at his bedroom window. He opened it and was confronted by a masked man who told him to stay still. The guest ran to reception and alerted staff who called police.

A red Honda was then seen to drive off at speed.

Witnesses or anyone with information about the robbery at 9.50pm last night or the earlier incident is asked to contact Astley Bridge CID on 0161 856 5740 or Crimestoppers on free phone 0800 555 111.