A POSTMASTER was held at knifepoint after he was ambushed while opening his office.

Mr Frank Gwilt was unlocking the branch in Bolton Road at around 8am last Friday when the robbers struck.

"I had just unlocked the back door when three of them pushed me in," he said. "They didn't have shooters but they had knives."

The masked men made him open the safe and took an undisclosed amount of money before fleeing.

Mr Gwilt, who has been postmaster at the branch for ten years, said: "I got a few bruises when they bundled me in, but they didn't beat me up or anything.

"I was very shaken but it was all over in a matter of minutes."

One of the robbers was white, about 5ft 8ins tall, slim and in his early 20s. He was wearing dark tracksuit bottoms, silver trainers, a cream waist-length jacket and a leather type hat.

Another raider was white, 5ft 10ins tall, stocky and in his mid 20s. He wore a dark jacket and tracksuit bottoms and silver trainers. There was no description of the third offender.

Anyone who was in the area at the time is asked to contact officers at Whitefield CID on 856 8240 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.