A building society that was targeted by three masked men on Friday said it was looking after staff traumatised by the robbery.

The three raiders burst into the Britannia Building Society branch in Station Road at around 9.40am on Friday, stealing money from behind the counter and fleeing the scene.

A spokesman for the Cooperative bank, which owns the Britannia Building Society in Station Road, said: "Thankfully, no one was injured, however our full support is being offered to anyone that was affected in any way.

"Security and the welfare of our colleagues and customers are of the utmost importance, and we constantly review such arrangements to safeguard them as much as possible at all times.

"We are now cooperating fully with the police while they make their enquires."

Two of the robbers jumped over the counter. One pinned a member of staff to the wall while a second grabbed money and a third raider stood guard at the door.

All three then fled in the direction of Rectory Lane.

A witness said the shop’s security measures, which included an intercom system on the door, had done nothing to prevent the robbers gaining entry.

She said: “They waited until someone was leaving and barged through. It was a ram raid, there was no chance to stop it.”

Another witness said the open-plan style office meant there was only a counter between staff and members of the public, adding that improved security measures such as a glass screen surrounding the counter could have prevented the robbery.