POLICE are investigating a robbery at McDonald’s in Astley Bridge.

It is believed that six robbers, who were armed with a crow bar and an axe, targeted the restaurant in Waters Meeting Road at 12.05am on Monday and that the thieves made away with £2,000 from a safe.

The details of the robbery have not yet been confirmed by police but a spokesman for GMP said they were investigating.

The restaurant has been targeted before by thieves, most recently in June when a cabinet containing desserts was taken from the store.

It has also only been seven months since the store re-opened, in February, after a high-tech refurbishment, which included the restaurant being installed with self service kiosks and tablet computers.

A McDonald’s spokesman said: “We can confirm that there was an incident at our Waters Meeting Road restaurant.

“We are co-operating fully with the police in their inquiries and are supporting the staff who were on site at the time of the incident.”

Warren Fox, Liberal Democrat campaigner for Astley Bridge, said: “I think it’s terrible what has happened. We hope that anyone with any information will get in touch with the police so that the culprits can be caught. Whoever has done this have little regard for the staff, who must be traumatised by this incident. They are the real victims in this.”

Anyone with information, or who witnessed the attack, can contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.