A ROBBER attempted to raid a chippy with 'a toy gun' before he ran away when help was called.

The masked man went into New Lee's takeaway in Chorley New Road, Horwich, at about 8.45pm on Friday, wielding what appeared to be a plastic gun.

He asked the person in the store twice to empty the contents of the till before the employee noticed the gun was fake after he had pointed it at the wall and pulled the trigger.

The woman at the till shouted for help and the raider took off and was chased a short way by the store's owner, who was in the back of the premises at the time.

The police were called just five minutes later after the man had escaped.

One of the owners, who did not wish to be named, said: "It was very scary. We knew there was another attempted robbery recently and we were told to be aware.

"But you never know where it is going to happen or when someone is going to come to your store and try to do something that is horribly bad."

Her husband, who also did not wish to be named, was the one who chased the robber out of the store.

He said: "He was already running off when I came to the front of the store so I chased him but I did not cross the road.

"I saw him run down one of the alleyways before I went back to the shop."

A spokesman from Greater Manchester Police said the culprit was still on the loose and investigations were underway.

They said it was thought he had a toy gun but the reports had not been confirmed.

It is the second attempted robbery to have taken place in Horwich in two days.

On Thursday, a man with a knife attempted to raid the Bargain Booze in Winter Hey Lane at about 10.20pm.

But he fled the scene after shop worker Andrew Coward pressed the panic button.

Anyone who has any information or saw anything suspicious around that time should call police on 101 quoting reference number 1866 of Friday, March 2.

Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.