TWO female shop workers are recovering at home after two masked men confronted them and ordered them to open their store safe.Clacton police are appealing for witnesses to the attempted robbery at the town's Woolworth's store.

By Sharon Asplin

TWO female shop workers are recovering at home after two masked men confronted them and ordered them to open their store safe.

Clacton police are appealing for witnesses to the attempted robbery at the town's Woolworth's store.

The would-be raiders broke into the store in Pier Avenue through the roof sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning and lay in wait for the staff.

When the first employees arrived - two women aged 48 and 43 - they were confronted by the masked men armed with crowbars.

One of the men tried to force the 48-year-old to open the safe but the second woman ran from the shop and alerted a member of the public who contacted the police.

The robbers then fled empty-handed and police believe they may have escaped along Electric Parade which leads to Jackson Road.

Yesterday a spokeswoman for the store said: "I cannot really say anything much about what happened but the two women were very shocked.

"They were both unhurt but I do not expect them to be back at work anytime soon."

She stressed that although there was some damage to the building, the shop had opened for trading as usual.

Det-Sgt Martin Brough, of Clacton CID, said: "We need to hear from people who were in the area between 6am and 7.20am and who saw these men arrive or leave via Jackson Road, West Avenue or Pier Avenue.

"All information given to us will be dealt with in the strictest confidence."

The first man was white with mousy hair, of stocky build, 5ft 6ins tall and wore a dark top and trousers and a blue balaclava.

His accomplice was also white, 6ft tall and slimmer. He wore a black donkey jacket, dark trousers and a balaclava.

Anyone with any information should contact Clacton CID on 01255 221312 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.