A POST office has been robbed by two men brandishing kitchen knives.

Police were called to the Firs Lane post office in Wigan Road, Leigh, at 9.52am today after two armed robbers wearing balaclavas entered the shop.

They stole the drawer from the shop's till and managed to get into the Post Office till, taking between £2,000 and £2,500 in cash, according to the owner, Ayub Lamba, before they ran off.

Mr Lamba, who arrived at the shop about 10 minutes after the incident, said: “There was only one person working in the shop at the time and no customers.

“The two men came in the front door and came straight behind the counter.

“They threatened the member of staff with a knife so he stepped back and pressed a panic button.

“They tried to take the till but couldn’t so they pulled the drawer off and took that and then messed about with the Post Office till and managed to get that open too.”

It is the first time the shop has been held up since Mr Lamba took over the business four years ago.

“The security isn’t good enough anymore,” said the 44-year-old.

“We used to have screens up and a two-door system so they wouldn’t have been able to get behind the counter but that was all taken down last March.

“Less than a year later and I am robbed. But we have to get on with our day.

“I am glad my staff are okay.

“He is fine, he has experienced something like this before.

“The robbers left a bag here that they had come with and the police found another knife in it.

"We are hoping the police will find something.”

The robbers are described as white and between five foot six inches and five foot 10 inches tall.

No-one was injured and the police are appealing for witnesses, who are being asked to call 101.