DETECTIVES are hunting four robbers after an armed raid on a Bury newsagents.

The thugs, brandishing a crowbar and wrench, stole £500 after rifling the tills and forcing a staff member to open a safe.

They struck at 10pm on Thursday (Nov 23) at the Sunny Bank Road shop.

Police believe the raiders escaped in a blue or purple Ford Focus car.

One of the men was around 6ft tall and wearing a blue 'Nike' hooded sweatshirt and dark coloured tracksuit bottoms with thick green stripes around the calves.

A second was around 5ft 11ins in height, medium build and wearing a similar sweatshirt, green top, and Nike tracksuit bottoms with a thin white strip running the full length of the legs.

The third raider was of stocky build, 5ft 11ins tall and wearing a blue grey pullover, a fleece with a zip at the neck, green tracksuit bottoms and ski mask.

The fourth man is described as skinny, around 5ft 9ins in height and wearing dark boots or shoes, red woollen gloves and dark tracksuit bottoms, possibly with the Nike tick logo, and a black balaclava. He was carrying either a pillow case or towel.

Anyone with information is asked to ring Bury operational police unit on 856 8149 or freephone CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111