STAFF at two Burger King restaurants in Bury and Bolton were left "absolutely terrified" after being targeted by robbers armed with knives, a hammer and a gun.

Police are now appealing to members of the public to come forward with information that could help them track down the men who committed the three reported robberies, the latest of which happened last weekend.

In one of the robberies, a heavily pregnant staff member had a gun held to her head.

The first incident happened at around 2.10am on Wednesday, April 13, as two men carrying large knives approached staff as they were leaving the Burger King on Bridge Hall Lane, Bury, close to the motorway exit junction and the border with Heywood.

The offenders forced the staff back inside and demanded cash before taking a set of car keys off the side and stealing one of the victims' cars. They left with a significant amount of cash.

The second robbery took place at the Burger King on Trinity Retail Park in Bolton at around 11:45pm that same day when two men pulled up in a light coloured Vauxhall Zafira.

One of the men then got out of the car armed with a hammer and jumped through a drive through service hatch and began threatening members of staff before leaving with a quantity of cash.

The third robbery happened at the same Burger King as the first on Saturday, May 21, when two men, one carrying a large knife and the other a black handgun, entered the restaurant at closing time and demanded cash.

The three workers, including a woman who was six months pregnant, had been preparing to lock up when two masked men, one carrying a large knife and the other a black handgun, entered the restaurant demanding cash.

Bury manager, Samantha Webb, said: "It's such a shock, it's not about the money that has been taken. They held a gun to my pregnant colleague's head and threatened her to give them the money.

"The worst thing is the robbers knew she was pregnant too, because the other team members told them."

The store had changed their procedures after the first robbery so the offenders only got away with £35.

However, they also stole a BMW belonging to 25-year-old worker.

Miss Webb added: "They demanded his keys and took his BMW. That was the biggest loss because it was his pride and joy, he was absolutely devastated. When I arrived after they called me they were all really emotional and shaken up."

The BMW was later found at a site in Heywood.

Detective Constable Danny Whitaker of GMP’s Bury Borough said: “This series of robberies has left staff members absolutely terrified and understandably so.

“We have been working closely with the management at the restaurants to provide staff with support and offer security advice to try and help better protect themselves from future robberies.

“We are treating these incidents as linked and are now appealing for the public’s help to assist us in finding the men responsible.

“Nobody should have to come into work and be put through such a traumatic experience when they are just trying to do their job and I would ask that anybody who thinks they may know something that can assist our investigation to please contact police.”

Anybody with information should contact police on 101 or via the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.