A WOMAN was shot as she attempted to push a baby to safety when masked raiders fired at police and passers-by during a bank robbery.

A Manchester Crown Court jury heard that Mrs Hunt went into action to protect the child as the three masked men opened fire in a busy Westhoughton street during the £120,000 raid.

She was hit in the leg with two pellets from the shotgun blast during the robbery at Barclay's Bank, Westhoughton, five years ago.

Mrs Hunt, who was aged 57 at the time, saw the pram outside a post office which is next to the bank when police officers warned members of the public that the gang was armed with guns.

In a statement read to the court, she said: "I saw the buggy and I remember thinking I must get it inside if there is a gun about.

"All I was thinking was that I had to get it inside."

As the gang emerged from the front entrance of the bank with cash stuffed into sports holdalls, they came face to face with three uniformed officers who had been called from nearby Westhoughton police station.

At least one shot was fired in Market Street, leaving three officers and Mrs Hunt with minor injuries.

"I've never heard a gunshot before but I knew exactly what it was," said Mrs Hunt. "I felt a stinging on my leg and I saw it had been cut."

All escaped serious injury because the shotgun cartridge had been modified to carry less shot than a standard cartridge.

The dramatic scenes unfolded in front of stunned shoppers just before 11am on April 13, 2000.

One man vaulted the security screen and threatened female members of staff while his accomplices made around six customers lie on the floor.

Staff members let the raiders gain access to the cash machines and a safe where a recently delivered stash of money was waiting.

Sgt Ray Jackson described the moment he went into the bank to help customers to safety.

"I ushered three men and a woman out of the bank," he said.

"There were 40 or 50 people on the pavement outside and as I looked inside there were three men wearing balaclava masks and carrying firearms.

"One of the men said, "get out of the way, get out of the way'.

"He levelled the gun at me and without any further warning fired it straight at me from about 10 feet away."

Sergeant Jackson was one of four officers who reached the bank on Market Street within minutes after being alerted to the robbery by a traffic warden.

The gang escaped in a dark red Mitsubishi Spacewagon driven by a fourth man.

Stuart Darren Grainger, aged 25, of Thanet Close, Salford, denies one count of robbery and one count of possessing a firearm with intent to commit robbery.