DETECTIVES are continuing to search for gangs of masked raiders who escaped with £37,500 in three separate armed robberies.

The robbers wielded weapons, including a machete and a handgun, as they struck across Bolton in the space of two hours on Tuesday, while cash deliveries were being made to a petrol station, a post office and a bank.

Police today launched a fresh appeal for information about the raids.

The first took place at 11.20am, when two men, both wearing balaclavas, threatened a Securitas guard with a machete and sledgehammer as he delivered money to a cash machine on the forecourt of the Shell petrol station, in Bridgeman Place in Bolton town centre.

One of the attackers slashed the guard across his right wrist and left upper arm before the two assailants sped off with a cash box - which police later revealed was empty - in a stolen red Peugeot 307, registration number KW51 RVM.

The car was later found dumped in an alleyway behind Bromwich Street inThe Haulgh.

The next raid took place two minutes later, at 11.22am, when two masked men burst into Johnson Fold Post Office, on Moss Bank Way.

One of the men pointed the gun at a member of staff who handed over money believed to be £27,500 in cash.

The robbers escaped down a back alley.

At 1.06pm, two robbers pulled up to the Lloyds TSB bank, in Market Street, Farnworth, on a Honda Fireblade motorbike, before grabbing £10,000 from two security guards who were making a delivery. They had threatened the guards with a machete. The men rode off in the direction of Kearsley.

Det Sgt Andy Higham, of Bolton CID, said: "We are very interested in tracking down anyone who knows anything and we're asking people with information to please come forward to help with our investigations."

Anybody with information is asked to contact Bolton CID on 0161 856 5740 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.