IT was business as usual today at an Ipswich post office – just hours after an attempted robbery.Two men are believed to have been involved in the raid on the Hawthorn Drive post office at Chantry but the only indication of the incident today was a sign saying "position closed" in front of the smashed counter glass.

IT was business as usual today at an Ipswich post office – just hours after an attempted robbery.

Two men are believed to have been involved in the raid on the Hawthorn Drive post office at Chantry but the only indication of the incident today was a sign saying "position closed" in front of the smashed counter glass.

A man entered the post office at about 4pm. He banged on the glass security screen and threatened staff and demanded money.

No weapon was seen and when staff activated the panic alarm the man left without anything.

This was the second incident in the town yesterday. Earlier a shop manager was threatened at Balfour News, Norwich Road and the assailant ran off with the metal drawer from the till.

The two incidents are as yet not being linked.

Charlene Blow, 20, saw the men running away as she went out on her balcony above the parade of shops.

She said: "I saw them run off. One went in one direction up Hawthorn Drive and the other went the opposite way. They just scarpered.

"They looked like they were wearing all black, black T-shirts and jogging bottoms. This is about the third time the post office has been targeted.

"Someone came out of his car and said 'Oi' and tried to find where they had gone. He went after one of them."

No one was injured in the incident and a Suffolk police spokesman said it was too early to link it to a robbery of Balfour News in Norwich Road, Ipswich by two knife-wielding teenagers.

Yesterday the Post Office had locked its doors while detectives from Suffolk CID determined what had happened. A sign in the window said it was closed due to an attempted robbery and one of the glass screens was smashed.

The first man is described as aged between 20 and 26, of mixed ethnic origin, about 5' 4" tall and of thin build. He was wearing a dark blue or grey fleece top.

The second man was white, in his late 20s, 5' 9" tall, with brown hair. He was wearing a hooded top.

Anyone with any information on either incident is asked to call Suffolk police on 01473 613500 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.