ROBBERS armed with sledgehammers have raided Asda in Daubhill – making off with tens of thousands of pounds.

Four men stole a cash box from the store in St Helens Road at 7.50am this morning after following a cash delivery driver into the store.

The robbers threatened the Loomis cash in transit worker in the store until they handed over the cash box.

The driver was not injured, and no Asda workers were directly threatened.

An eyewitness said he saw three men dressed in black and wearing tights over their heads run out of the store shortly after the incident.

The men then fled the scene in a black or dark grey Ford, believed to be a Focus or Mondeo, turning right out of the store’s entrance and driving up Deane Church Lane.

This is the third armed robbery in a store in Bolton in daylight in 11 days.

Last Monday, tens of thousands were taken from a transit van at Aldi in Trinity Street when raiders with machetes burst into the store.

On Friday, audacious robbers riding motorbikes and armed with axes targeted H&T Pawnbrokers in Newport Street, stealing "a large amount of jewellery".

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “We were called to an armed robbery at Asda in Daubhill at 7.50am this morning.

“Four men went into the store, stole a cash box and made off. Followed a staff member into the store, threatened them and took the cash box. No one was injured.

“Police are still at the scene and the investigation is ongoing. There have been no arrests at this stage.”

A garage owner had walked to Asda to buy milk and was outside the store near the bus stop when he witnessed the robbers running from the store.

He said: “I saw them come out of the door of the Asda with a sledgehammer.

“There were three people dressed all in black and wearing black tights on their heads.

“I saw a girl about 13 years old who was waiting at the bus stop and she looked absolutely terrified when she saw them come out all wearing black.

“I saw them speed off in a black Ford Mondeo. They turned right out of Asda and went up Deane Church Lane.”

A spokesman for Loomis said: “We can confirm the incident took place and that Loomis are working closely with the police to try to get to the perpetrators.

“If anyone has any information on this incident, they should report it to the police.”

Hamza Shahid lives across from the store with his partner and two children. The 33-year-old said: “I cannot believe this has happened, I am in shock.

“Things like this usually never happen around here. I think it must be kids or teenagers who have done this.”

Pensioner Malc Halliwell, aged 72, has lived in Daubhill all his life and said he no longer feels safe in the area.

He said: “I am sick of hearing about things like this. We are getting to the stage where we are frightened of going out.

“The area is going downhill fast – we used to have our own police station here years ago and things were better then.”

Sisters-in-law Paula Crompton, aged 25, and Samantha Thompson, aged 34, both live in the area.

Samantha said: “We are all feeling very scared – it is horrible to think when you are doing your shopping the shop could be raided. This is our community.”

Paula added: “I work in a town centre pub and it is scary to be on a shift on your own. The amount of robberies there has been in Bolton recently, it is getting ridiculous. ”

Anyone with information should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.