Staff were threatened with a handgun and a sword during a terrifying robbery.
Two men with their faces masked struck at the Spar store on Thwaites Road, Oswaldtwistle, as customers shopped at around 8.40pm on Tuesday, August 8.
After pointing the weapons at staff the robbers leapt over the counter and stole £300 in cash from two tills and some cigarettes.
Detective believe the men, who were in their early 20s and had Liverpudlian accents, fled the scene using an older-style silver Audi A3 with colour-coded wing mirrors and blacked-out rear windows.
A car matching that description was later found burnt out on Clarendon Road in Accrington at 12.50am.
Nigel Masters, owner of the shop, said the incident had left staff ‘shook up’.
He said that customers had been in the shop when the raid happened.
Mr Masters, 56, added: “It has been awful for them. They had the weapons pointed at them.
“I’ve owned the shop for 30 years and besides a ram raid in 1999 nothing like this has ever happened before.
“We will be reviewing our security in light of this. The staff just want to get back to work and get on with their lives.”
Detectives have released an image of the car believed to have been used in the getaway and are reviewing CCTV.
DC Angela Verity, of Hyndburn Police, said there will be increase patrols to reassure the community.
She said: “These men have left the two staff members extremely shaken and we are determined to locate them.
“We would now like to hear from anyone with information about the incident, and in particular would like to trace the vehicle in the CCTV image which may have been used to help the offenders get away from the scene.”
Coun Lisa Allen, who represents St Oswald’s ward on Hyndburn council, said the community was in shock.
She said: “I am relieved to hear no one was hurt, but the emotional trauma of the staff having weapons pointed at them would be awful. Thwaites Road is busy, Trickys pub is next door and the Spar is a very well used shop.
"It doesn’t bear thinking about that someone could have been caught up in that and been hurt. It’s the school holidays and there could have been children around.
"It’s disturbing we have another incident involving weapons in our neighbourhood. People are clearly coming in from outside the area and are prepared to do anything for some money.”
Richard Hilliard, who owns Trickys pub next door to the shop, said he was relieved no customers were caught up in the robbery.
He said: “We had a fair number in to watch the football.
“It’s really concerning that these guys had weapons and hit so early while it was still daylight.
“We are a close-knit community and don’t want that sort of thing around here.”
Anybody with information should contact police on 101, quoting log number 1471 of August 8.
