A GARAGE boss today offered a £1,000 reward after the worst attack on a member of his staff in his 34 year career.

Ken Kay put up the money after a cashier at the Total Garage in Burnley was brutally assaulted and robbed on Friday.

The woman was working alone at the garage on Eastern Avenue at around 7.15pm when a man attacked her with what police described as a small baseball bat.

The man went into the shop and picked up something to buy before walking to the till and attacking the cashier from behind.

The raider then stole an undisclosed amount of cash from the till before fleeing the scene, leaving the cashier badly injured.

The victim, 40, who has not been named, was taken by ambulance to Burnley General Hospital with facial injuries and later released. She is now recovering at home.

Detectives have launched a hunt for the robber and are appealing for witnesses.

Mr Kay, owner of the Blackburn-based Kay Group, said today: "This was a terrible incident and a particularly nasty attack, the worst I have ever come across in my 34 years in the business.

"The man who did this is clearly dangerous and needs to be caught so I am putting up a £1,000 reward for any information which leads to his arrest and conviction.

"I would appeal for anyone who may know who he is to go to the police so he can be taken off the streets."

Detective Sergeant Ian Taylor, of Burnley CID, said: "This was a very serious incident and we are appealing for anyone with information to come forward and help us catch this offender.

"The attacker did not even make any demands before attacking the victim, he just waited for her to turn her back before he started hitting her.

"It may be that someone knows who he is or may have seen something at the petrol station. If anyone has been walking their dog or been a customer at the filling station and has seen somebody hanging around, I would ask them to contact us.

"We are also looking for the weapon used in the attack which seems to have been something like a half-size baseball bat or old-style police truncheon. If anyone finds anything like this they should tell the police."

The robber was described as of Asian heritage or middle eastern origin, slim, in his 20s and wearing a white hooded top, with the hood up, a blue denim jacket and black Adidas tracksuit trousers.

Call police on 01282 425001 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.