CHILLING CCTV footage of a post office robbery has been released in a bid to track down the raiders.

On the afternoon of May 26, four men armed with hammers and a crowbar raided Unsworth Post Office, off Parr Lane, and stole cash and cigarettes after assaulting staff member Howard Berry, aged 61, and customer Gary Smith, aged 47.

The gripping 64-second video shows three balaclava-clad men enter the post office via the adjoining butcher’s shop. One of the gang reappears on the screen seven seconds later, dragging Mr Berry along the floor.

During the course of the robbery, Mr Smith went to his works van parked outside, walked into the shop and hit one of the robbers with a spade, possibly breaking his arm. Mr Smith was then seriously assaulted and spent five days in hospital. Det Insp Vicky Shaw, based at Bury CID, said: “It is extremely significant that he managed to hit one of the robbers with the spade. It must have caused some damage and we’d ask people to have a think if you have seen someone with an arm injury, particularly one that is unexplained.

“The Post Office is offering a reward up to £25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.”

The shop manager, Andrew Nicholson, said: “The CCTV footage is distressing, but we need as many people as possible to go to the Bury Times website and watch it in the hope that they may recognise those people responsible.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Bury CID on 0161 856 8248 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.