SHOPPERS were forced to cower in terror as armed robbers fired shots over their heads during a raid on an Unsworth post office.

And a crew of refuse collectors attempted to block the masked raiders' escape route as they fled from Sunnybank Post Office on Wednesday morning (Jan 3).

The 58-year-old postmaster suffered a head injury when he was struck with a sledge hammer by one of the gang, but he declined hospital treatment.

A small amount of cash and a quantity of car tax discs were taken in the robbery.

The drama happened minutes before 10am when four men, all wearing balaclavas, pulled up outside the post office in a stolen Rover car. hree raiders stormed into the shop and threatened staff with the hammer and a pistol which was fired into the air three times to deter have-a-go heroes.

The post master, Mr John Mogg, was attacked and the robbers fled with the cash and tax discs. The post office was closed yesterday and is not expected to re-open before Monday.

Butcher Peter Maguire, whose shop is only yards away, said a woman ran into his premises screaming "police, robbery!"

He said: "I saw three masked men jump into a car and I took the registration down while my daughter phoned the police.

"The car sped off and turned into Ventnor Avenue. A bin wagon was down there and when the bin men realised those in the car were in balaclavas, they blocked off the road with the wagon, forcing the getaway car to reverse. It hit a parked car and smashed into a fence in the process."

The Rover was found soon after abandoned outside Quine's car accessory shop in nearby Parr Lane. The thieves transferred to a Vauxhall Vectra.

Detective Sergeant Duncan Heywood of Bury's Operational Police Unit said: "We are very keen to speak to any witnesses to the actual robbery who have not already been seen by the police and anyone who saw the thieves abandon the Rover in Parr Lane and transfer to the Vauxhall."

Call Bury CID on 856 8150 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.