A female customer was knocked to the ground by masked robbers who held up a post office at gunpoint.

Post office raid - the postmistress at the scene with police Picture: SEANA HUGHES

The terrifying ordeal happened at 9.30am yesterday at the post office in High Street, Nayland.

Along with the postmistress, there were four customers in the shop at the time of the incident.

A spokesman for Suffolk Police said: "The men demanded money from the postmistress while threatening her with what appeared to be a shotgun, a baseball bat and a crowbar."

During the ordeal, a woman suffered a grazed arm when she was knocked to the floor.

The three robbers, who were all wearing dark clothing along with the balaclavas, stole an undisclosed quantity of cash.

The men were seen to leave along the High Street in a red Ford Sierra car, which was later found abandoned in a field near Polstead.

Police checks on the vehicle have shown that it had been stolen from an address in Great Waldingfield, near Sudbury.

The police spokesman said the postmistress was uninjured during the incident and no shots had been fired.

A Post Office spokesman said: "We are currently liaising with the police about this, and would ask anyone with information to contact them."

Anyone who witnessed the incident, saw the car driving off at speed, or being abandoned near Polstead, should contact Acting Det Sgt John Gibbens at Sudbury police on 01284 774300 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Published Wednesday August 25, 2004

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