MASKED raiders armed with a gun and a claw hammer escaped with a large amount of cash from a Blackburn supermarket last night.

Detectives were today interviewing staff from Kwik Save, in Bolton Road, who were threatened by the robbers and forced to hand over about £20,000.

Police are also examining links with a raid on the same supermarket 12 months ago.

Around 10 staff were getting ready to close the supermarket when the three robbers wearing stocking masks forced open the doors shortly before 8pm.

One of the men was carrying a gun, believed to be a pistol or a sawn-off shotgun and another threatened the workers with the hammer. The hammer was left at the scene and was being examined by forensic scientists.

The assistant manager was forced to open the safe at gunpoint and the frightened workers were then locked into a storeroom.

Police believe a blue Vauxhall Cavalier found abandoned in nearby Hamilton Street was used as a getaway car. The G-registered car was stolen on Thursday from the Wigan area. Detectives think the robbers came from out of town but had been watching the store for several days.

Detective Inspector Tim Jacques, of Blackburn CID, said: "This must have been a very frightening experience for all the staff particularly the assistant manager who was forced to open the safe."

A Kwik Save spokesman said: "Nobody was injured, but everybody was shocked. Ten or 11 staff were in at the time and we are relieved that nobody was harmed."

Just over 12 months ago armed ram-raiders smashed through the glass doors of the supermarket but fled empty-handed when they were told there was no money in the safe. The two raids both took place at about 8.15pm.

Mr Jacques said: "At this stage we are not ruling out anything."

The robbers are in their 20s, two of them were white and the third black. Anyone with information should contact Blackburn CID on 01254 51212 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.