POLICE are hunting three masked men who raided a Lancaster post office brandishing a baseball bat and a gun on Wednesday morning. The Vale sub post office, on Noel Road, was held up after two men followed a post office delivery worker into the shop and made off with a substantial amount of money. Post office worker Andrew Lambert, 27, who was hit on the back of the head with a baseball bat and postmaster John Higson, 60, who was hit in the face with a black handgun were taken to Lancaster Royal Infirmary where they were later released after being treated for cuts and bruises.

The raid took place at about 8.45am after two men, wearing dark balaclavas, forced their way into the post office. The robbers made off in a white five door 1.4 Civic Honda together with another man, masked in a white crash helmet.

The car, with a false registration plate N372 PEC, was later discovered burnt out in a garage not far from the post office on Pickthorn Close.

Police say two men were seen leaving the garages and heading towards the railway line.

One man was white, about 6ft tall, slim build, with short dark hair wearing a dark bomber jacket and jeans and the other was wearing a three-quarter length dark coat with red markings, with the hood up.

Eye-witness Carol Shaw, of Noel Road, told the Citizen: "I was with two friends on my way to pick up my benefits when the masked men ran out of the post office. They escaped in a car leaving Mr Higson with blood all over his head."

Det Chf Insp Colin Maloney said: "We want to speak to hear from anyone who saw the robbery or saw anything suspicious before it took place. We want to speak to anyone who might have seen the white Honda in the area. Lancaster police are appealing for witnesses who saw anything suspicious on the Noel estate in the days leading up to the armed robbery.

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