A GANG wielding a meat cleaver escaped with thousands of pounds after hijacking a van.

The money belonged to a man who supplies meat to a number of Blackburn halal butchers.

After grabbing the cash from the van, the handbrake was knocked off sending the vehicle careering down a steep hill into a parked car.

Witnesses said the three men wearing stockings over their faces shattered the window of the vehicle, which contained up to £30,000 of takings, as the terrified driver tried to get out of the van.

The driver managed to flee the scene as the gang raided the white Mercedes Sprinter’s built-in safe.

It then rolled around 30ft down Inkerman Street, Whalley Range, before colliding with a silver Volkswagen Golf.

Police are investigating if the robbers were in the van when it crashed.

Anwar Ul-Haq, who runs Anwar Halal Meat, in London Road, said the driver had just visited his shop as part of a route he followed around the town to collect takings for selling chicken.

He estimated there would have been between £10,000 and £30,000 in the van.

The 42-year-old said: “It is the start of Ramadhan so we had had more takings than usual.

“I think somebody knew this or had maybe been following the driver.

“We handed him the money and as soon as he got out, some people were waiting for him in the street.

“It was a really nasty attack and he has been lucky that he was not seriously injured.”

The incident happened at around 11.30am yesterday and the road was closed for several hours.

Officers went door-to-door to speak to potential witnesses and the van was eventually taken away for forensic analysis.

CCTV images are also being reviewed to try to track down the gang.

One Inkerman Street resident said she heard screaming and a loud bang as the van crashed into the parked car.

The 18-year-old said: “It all happened very quickly.

“It was really shocking and like watching a programme on TV from the window.

“The men were trying to get into the van and then it was coming down the hill.

“I heard some screaming and a loud bang and then the men ran off.

“I thought maybe it was just that the handbreak had not gone on, but I was shocked to hear it was a robbery.”

The men made off down Inkerman Street, possibly in a small, dark-coloured vehicle.

DS Adrian McHugh, from Blackburn CID, said: “A delivery man had been collecting several thousand pounds from the halal butcher in London Road and when he got back to his vehicle to drive off, he was approached by a number of men.

“There was an initial suggestion that they had something covering their faces.

“The driver got out of the vehicle before they could grab him. The men ultimately smashed a window and stole some property.

“It is not yet certain if they used a bar or a cleaver.

“We are not sure how much was stolen, but several thousands of pounds was definitely taken.

“The driver is a little bit shaken up, but he is fine and he is helping us with our inquiries.

“I would appeal for any witnesses who saw anybody acting suspiciously in the are or any dark-coloured vehicles to come forward.”

Anybody with information should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.