STAFF were held at knifepoint during a terrifying raid at a village post office, revealed a have-a-go hero.

The eyewitness has described how he ran to try to stop robbers as they fled Edgworth Post Office on Monday morning.

The man, who wished to remain anonymous said: “I saw two lads with ski masks on and an axe going towards to the shop, they got in and locked it, you couldn’t get in.

“They came running out. It was over in minutes. I went in to see if everyone was okay.

"Everyone was shaken up. There was a little girl and she was crying. One of the staff members had a knife to the throat, she was in tears. The postmistress had told them not to hurt anyone

“I went out and ran round where they had parked their car, I went to try and distract or stall them, there were more people around then and I was hoping we might have been able to do something.

"You never know what you would do in that situation, you never expect something like that to happen. The car drove away, but I managed to get the registration.”

He added: “I feel bad for the people in the shop. If anyone knows anything I would encourage them to come forward. What has happened is traumatic and those in the post office won’t forget it anytime soon.”

Cllr Jean Rigby, who lives in the village, said: “The two had a knife put up to them, to make one open the post office counter and then to the postmistress, telling her not to do anything silly.

“Everybody is so shocked. I have been here 46 years and there has never been anything like this.”

The masked robbers escaped with £14,000 of cash before fleeing in a car towards Bury. Detectives are now appealing for help in tracing them.

Cllr Rigby added: “I have told the postmistress to contact me if there is anything I can do, I have told her a dozen times.The community is very close.

“We will all give them the support and love — but they also need professional support because you can’t imagine what they have gone through, to have your life threatened like that."

She said: “The owners have worked really hard and are so caring, if someone doesn’t come in, they wonder if that person is okay. They are fantastic and do not deserve what has happened.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting log number 0427 of September 4.