THESE are the robbers who terrified shoppers and staff at Burnley supermarket threatening them with a shotgun, hand gun and axe.

Det Insp Tony Ronnan said: "The level of violence used by these men was extreme and the extent to which the people in the shop were threatened is terrifying, it really was a bad robbery."

Police released the CCTV footage taken inside the store and revealed the three, possibly four, men got away with between £4,500 and £5,000 after kicking open the cash office door at Kwik Save, in Accrington Road, and stealing the contents of two tills at 6pm on Saturday.

They used a stolen green Honda Accord Aerodeck to get to the supermarket and abandoned it just a few streets away from the store at the junction of back Clay Street and Moorhouse Street.

DI Ronnan said: "I am appealing for anyone who saw these men get out of the vehicle and get into another to contact me.

"They may still have been wearing their balaclava masks, it does happen. Did anyone see a vehicle parked on those streets which they have not seen before?

"There may also have been some football fans leaving the town after the match and they may have seen a vehicle leaving Moorhouse Street with three or four men in it at about that time."

He said house-to-house inquiries were carried out yesterday, last night and were continuing today.

Police are still interviewing the 15 staff and 10 shoppers who were in the foyer and were ordered to lie on the floor while the guns were pointed at them and they were threatened.

A member of staff and a shopper were taken to Burnley General Hospital and treated for shock. The robbers were all wearing dark clothing, hooded tops, balaclavas and gloves and one of the three inside the store was 6ins shorter than his two accomplices.

DI Ronnan said: "The Honda had been stolen from Worsley and so we are liaising with Greater Manchester police to see if there are any crimes in their area which are linked to this offence. We are also checking other areas."

Kwik Save closed the store on Saturday night, but reopened as usual on Sunday. The supermarket is now reviewing security.

If anyone has any information they are asked to contact 01282 425001.