POLICE are today still hunting masked robbers who burst into a Suffolk post office armed with an iron bar and pick axe.They demanded money from a middle-aged shop assistant as she served customers in the building at Nayland High Street.

POLICE are today still hunting masked robbers who burst into a Suffolk post office armed with an iron bar and pick axe.

They demanded money from a middle-aged shop assistant as she served customers in the building at Nayland High Street.

But when they made their getaway in a car containing two other men, local builder Mick Barratt gave chase.

Mr Barratt had watched events unfold from Chapman's estate agency opposite the post office.

He had started to cross the road towards the building when he heard someone call out: "He's got an axe."

Mr Barrett said: "I was standing in the doorway and all of a sudden I saw two chaps running into the post office. Both were wearing grey balaclava type masks and I realised it was a raid.

"My van was outside and I thought I'd have a go but as they came running out I could see two other men in the car.

"One of the men was carrying some sort of an axe and I think the other had a bag. They screamed away as the shop alarm went off so I got in my van and followed them up towards the A134."

At one point Mr Barratt thought he had lost the car, which he described as a gold-coloured Cavalier-type car, and he was about to return when it came hurtling past him, now with just one occupant, the driver.

He said he believed the raiders must have had another car hidden in one of the country lanes around Nayland.

Mr Barratt gave chase through the narrow back roads around Nayland, heading towards East Bergholt, learning from a passing rider that he was on the right track after she told him the gold-coloured car had nearly knocked her off her horse.

However, he eventually had to admit defeat, realising that a van was no match for a saloon car.

He said he had had no time to think about what he was doing, he had just reacted: "You have to try and do something. But he was driving like a lunatic."

A spokesman for Suffolk police said the raid happened at 3.23pm yesterday afternoon.

He said the shop assistant, who has not been named, was not injured but had been left badly shaken by her ordeal.

The two men who carried out the raid are described as aged in their 20s, and were wearing balaclavas, trainers, jeans and dark, zipped jackets.

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