By Juliette MaxamPOLICE were hunting armed robbers who tied up two shop staff last night and stole a large amount of cash from an out-of-town superstore.

By Juliette Maxam

POLICE were hunting armed robbers who tied up two shop staff last night and stole a large amount of cash from an out-of-town superstore.

Two robbers, believed to be armed with a knife and a gun, struck at the Staples stationery store in Cowdray Avenue, Colchester, just after 6pm yesterday.

They tied up two male members of staff and stole what police described as "a large quantity of cash" before fleeing the store.

The two shop assistants were believed to have stayed behind after the store shut at 4.30pm for either cashing up or stock-taking and were locking up the store when the robbers struck.

They were forced back into the store and tied up. They managed to free themselves and raise the alarm by 6.25pm. Police said they were unhurt, but shaken by their ordeal.

An Essex Police spokeswoman said: "The fact that the shop staff were locking up at the time of the robbery means we are looking into the possibility some sort of prior planning may have taken place."

She appealed for anyone who may have seen someone hanging around Staples in the past couple of weeks or somebody acting suspiciously in the area to contact police.

Staples is in the Colne View retail park, next to Pet City, Halfords and DFS furniture shop. It is just up the road from a drive-through McDonalds and Colchester Leisureworld. Scenes of crime officers were scouring the shop last night for forensic evidence as part of the hunt for the robbers.

Anyone with information should contact Colchester police on 01206 762212.

juliette.maxam@eadt.co.uk