THREE masked men threatened a member of staff during a terrifying raid at a Pound Bakery store in Prestwich.

Police are appealing for witnesses of the incident which took place at the store, in the Longfield Centre, at about 5.25pm on Thursday.

The bakery was closing for the day, and the men forced their way inside as a female member of staff was leaving.

The men threatened two female members of staff with violence, and demanded cash.

They handed over money in fear that they would be attacked, and the men fled.

They are described as white, aged in their 20s, and speaking with local accents. They wore high visibility vests, balaclavas, and ski masks.

Det Con Martin Brown, of Bury police, said: “The men waited until the shop had closed and preyed on the vulnerability of the two female members of staff, who are understandably very shaken by what happened.

“We’re urging anyone who may have seen three of men matching the descriptions or acting suspiciously in the area to contact police immediately.”

A spokesman for Pound Bakery added: "We can confirm that a robbery took place at around 5pm at the Pound Bakery store in the Longfield Centre in Prestwich.

“No weapons were involved and all staff are unharmed although understandably shaken.

"We are working with police to identify the suspects and encourage anyone who has any information regarding this crime to get in touch with the police directly."

Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 8223, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.