TWO men armed with a sawn-off shotgun assaulted elderly customers and demanded money after bursting into a Post Office early today.

The robbers went into the premises in Johnston Street, Blackburn, at 9.30am and threatened the owner, Mrs Zulekha Yusuf and her son, Mubarak Patel, who is 22 today.

Mrs Yusuf, 40, was serving behind the counter with her son when one of the men produced a gun out of a brief case and demanded money.

An elderly woman customer on crutches, aged 82, was pushed to the floor and another female customer was also assaulted.

The two men escaped empty-handed as police swarmed into the area after the alarm was raised.

Mrs Yusuf's brother, who did not want to be named, said: "We don't believe they have got away with anything but everyone is a bit shaken and shocked. They just came in and pointed a gun at everyone."

The robbers, who had local accents, escaped on foot.

They are described as white and aged approximately 25.

The man with the gun was said to be slim, 5ft 6in tall, unshaven and scruffy, with a pale complexion and was wearing blues jeans, a black baseball cap and a black hooded anorak, fastened up to the neck.

The other offender was 5ft 11ins tall, and was believed to have a goatee beard and moustache. He was smartly dressed, wearing a brown, waist lenght jacket with a black zig-zag pattern on the front.

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