TWO armed raiders escaped with hundreds of pounds after threatening restaurant staff with a gun.

The men burst into the Little Chef at Rising Bridge roundabout and demanded the contents of the safe in front of four customers.

The robbery took place at 8pm on Tuesday but police have just released details.

Officers want to hear from anyone who may have seen the thieves in Haslingden town centre around the time of the £400 robbery.

The men are described as Afro-Caribbean. One wore a multicoloured scarf around his face and a black bob-style hat. His accomplice had a dark scarf, dark bob-style hat, dark waterproof coat and possibly jeans.

They walked into the restaurant and forced two members of staff into the back of the store and demanded they open the safe. Once they had the cash they got into a white Nissan Micra registration H580 TVH and drove up Blackburn Road.

Police spotted the vehicle and began following it into Haslingden town centre where they lost sight of it. The car was found abandoned 15 minutes later. One of the men was seen going back to the car and removing some items.

Detective Sergeant Andrew Gilbert said: "We know they were around the town centre for 30 or 40 minutes.

"We would also like to hear from anyone who may have seen an Afro-Caribbean man with a bald head in a silver vehicle in the vicinity of Hindle Street car park. He approached a group of youths and asked if the police had left the area before removing items from a grit bin and driving off towards the centre of Haslingden."

Anyone with information should contact Rossendale police on 01706 237442.