RAIDERS who targeted a village post office fled with a small amount of cash after trying to smash down a door.

Police revealed how the incident began at 10.45am last Friday when a silver coloured Ford Mondeo with false number plates was driven up onto the kerb in front of Mosley Common Post Office.

Two men climbed out of the car and ran into the shop, one swinging a sledgehammer.

The assistant saw the men heading towards him and ran into the back of the shop and closed the internal door behind him. The sledgehammer raider hit the door which was jammed shut by the assistant leaning against it.

Part of the door was chipped away in the sledgehammer attack, but the thieves eventually gave up and ran out of the shop after they had taken a small amount of cash from the till.

The pair got into the waiting Mondeo which was driven off by a third man. It turned left into Thornton Road on the Mosley Common council estate and travelled into Gilda Road and across Mosley Common Road and along Bridgewater Road towards Ellenbrook.

Ghosted

Police said: "The car was on false number plates which had been ghosted from a similar silver Mondeo, beginning with the letters MA."

Detective Sergeant Dean Fraser of Leigh CID said: "The post master has been left very shaken by what happened.

"He showed a great deal of initiative and bravery in stopping the thieves from entering the back room, and he is lucky not to have been injured.

"These thieves showed a great deal of determination but were forced to leave almost empty handed.

"I would appeal to anyone who may have seen these men in the stolen Mondeo either before or after the robbery. It is likely these robbers may strike again, and next time the consequences could be much more serious."

The man carrying the sledgehammer is described as white and was wearing a balaclava, a light grey hooded sweatshirt with white writing and a black logo on the front. He was also wearing dark trousers and dark trainers with

a white piece at the back and white laces.

The other man who entered the shop was wearing a Nike dark coloured hooded top, Nike tracksuit bottoms with white zips and trainers with a white top and dark bottom half.

The driver is described as white, in his 20s of stocky build and was wearing a woolly hat.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Leigh CID on 0161 856 7345 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.