A TERRIFIED young postmistress struggled to fight off a trio of armed robbers, her angry father revealed today.Bruised across her back and shaken by the ordeal, the 30-year-old woman remains too scared to talk about her ordeal - in case the masked attackers who the Evening Star have offered a £1,000 reward for, come after her.

A TERRIFIED young postmistress struggled to fight off a trio of armed robbers, her angry father revealed today.

Bruised across her back and shaken by the ordeal, the 30-year-old woman remains too scared to talk about her ordeal in case the masked attackers – who The Evening Star has offered a £1,000 reward resulting in their successful conviction – come after her.

But today her father revealed the depths of the trauma – which has left her still shaking with fear – and how fury is driving him to want revenge, and the possibility that the village post office in Stonham Parva may never reopen.

Colin Buttle, 52, said his daughter was still traumatised from the November 5 attack, in which the three raiders of African appearance struck with scarves covering their faces, and escaped with cash from the safe.

He said: "There were three lads in the shop and when my daughter walked in from the living room, the first grabbed her round the waist and held her, and put his hand over her mouth. Then the other two, one with a handgun, took the money.

"She didn't think she struggled, but she has bruises across her back and down her sides, so I think she must have done. I don't think she's blanked it out, but she still has not come to terms with it."

He said his daughter had worked in the post office for two years, working with her mother in the family business which they have owned for four years.

He said: "It's been mega stress for all of us. She is fine for a couple of hours, but then it springs into her mind again, and you can see her start to shake with fear. We popped into town one day, and when a black man walked towards her and glanced our way, she absolutely freaked out.

"It's so easy for anybody to pick on a woman and for three men to pick on a young woman like that...I'd like to get them in a room and show them what fear is.

"I know people get jailed for ten years and get out after four, with a tag – well I'd like to give them a tag they'd remember.

"It is going to be a long time before she gets over it, and it should be an eye for an eye in my opinion. I can't say if the shop will ever open again – if she doesn't want to come back then I will close it down."

As well as family support, friends and customers have sent cards and flowers and the phone has rarely stopped ringing, which he said had helped everyone cope.

The alarm system at Stonham Parva has been upgraded and staff are more aware of the risks they take every day since a gang of Romanian gypsies stole £1,600 from the shop two years ago.

But Mr Buttle said: "This time it was totally different. This was aggressive bullying."

Police are appealing for anyone travelling on the A140 between 4.45pm and 5.55pm to contact them immediately.

The offenders wore dark clothes. The first was 6ft tall, well-built, aged over 30. The second and third were younger; the second was 5ft 8ins tall, stocky, and the third was 5ft 6-7ins tall.

Anyone with information should call Stowmarket CID on 01473 613500.

n The Evening Star has offered a £1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the offenders.