PUNTERS dived for cover as a gang of masked men, one armed with a three-feet long machete, raided a Burnley bookmakers.

Betters were watching the televised racing at the Labrokes office in Yorkshire Street just after 2.30pm yesterday when a man wearing a balaclava mask climbed over the security screen into the private office area where two women members of staff were working.

It was a carbon copy of a previous raid at the same betting shop last October when a knifeman escaped with £1,000 after leaping over the security screen.

As the two women tried to escape into the public area, a second masked man forced them back and a third, carrying a large machete, kept the customers away.

The robbers emptied the tills and forced the two terrified assistants to open the safe.

The men fled the premises and the alarm was raised.

Uniformed police and CID officers were quickly in the area and a search was carried out in the area.

A machete and about £900 were recovered.

As the search was going on the betting shop was emptied and a sign put up on the door: "Sorry, closed until further notice.''

Burnley police said no-one was injured but the members of staff were badly shocked and frightened.

Four men were today being questioned by police.

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