POLICE are appealing for witnesses to help them find a gunman who terrified staff in a Blackpool bank raid this week.

Bank bosses are offering counselling to staff and customers at the HSBC bank, Oxford Square, after they were made to lie on the ground while being threatened by a man with a handgun on February 6.

It is believed the man entered the bank with an accomplice at around 9.50am.

The gunman then escaped from the back entrance and made his way across the bowling greens of Marton Institute, towards Vicarage Lane.

It is not known how the other man -- who may have been his accomplice -- escaped.

HSBC does not believe anything was stolen, but has confirmed checks are still being carried out. An eye-witness said it had clearly been an ordeal for the staff.

"I saw around 15 staff leaving the bank by the front door," they said.

"There were police cars and vans swooping in from everywhere and there were helicopters in the sky.

"The staff looked terrified from their ordeal and had to stay outside the bank for around an hour."

The bank was shut for the remainder of the day and a hand written notice saying simply "Bank closed today" on the door turned the steady stream of customers away.

A spokesman for HSBC wanted to thank police for their quick response to the alarm and also expressed pride in the way the staff dealt with the crisis .

"Obviously our concerns now lie with the staff and the customers who were witness to the raid and we are offering counselling to them," he said.

Police are appealing for anyone who saw anything, or anyone, suspicious in the area of the bank on the morning of February 6, to call them on (01253) 293933.