A woman was thrown to the floor by robbers armed with a crowbar in a shocking raid on a Newmarket bookmakers yesterday.

Staff at the Coral branch in All Saints Road were still shaken yesterday by the ordeal, which happened at 6.30pm on Wednesday, but fortunately no-one had been seriously hurt.

Two men came in through the front door, with one of them brandishing a crowbar.

They confronted two female members of staff and demanded the keys to the slot machines.

“One of the employees was pushed to the floor before the keys were handed over and they then emptied the coins from the slot machines. They then demanded the safe be opened, but it has not yet been established if anything was taken from it,” said police.

The shop was open from 2pm as normal today. Coral’s press office was contacted for a comment but did not respond.

The shop is set back from the main high street, just around the corner from the new £15m National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art.

Next door, at the Crack On Foundation, shop manager Jane Pattison said only having a single street light opposite meant the area was very dark at night-time – with no lights on the opposite All Saints Church.

“We’re shocked,” she said. “The police came in this morning to find out when we were here. It’s pretty horrible.”

One suspect wore a balaclava and the other appeared to be wearing a ski mask.

Newmarket’s mayor, Andy Drummond, was shocked when he heard the news yesterday.

“You think of Newmarket as a safe place,” he said. “[Coral] is very close to a car park that serves the high street. That’s very concerning.

“I’m very disappointed to hear about it, particularly that level of violence. Obviously they frightened the ladies enough with whatever they threatened them with to hand over the keys.”

Anyone in All Saints Road between 6pm and 7pm on Wednesday who saw two men acting suspiciously should call Bury St Edmunds CID on 101 quoting reference 11855/17, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.