Machete clue in armed robber hunt

The machete is imprinted with the word 'Bulldog'

Detectives hunting armed robbers who shot at police as they escaped from a bank raid have issued pictures of one of the "frightening" weapons used.

Two men, armed with a shotgun and a machete, fled with large sums of cash from Barclays on Winter Hey Lane in Horwich, Bolton, on 29 November.

The machete - imprinted with the word Bulldog - was found in a silver Ford Mondeo they escaped in.

Officers want to speak to anyone who knows where the weapon came from.

The machete also has the phrase "Made in England" written below the Bulldog sign.

'Unnecessary violence'

Det Ch Insp David Law, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "This is a frightening but extremely distinctive weapon and I'm keen to speak to anyone who has any knowledge of its history.

"It may have been stolen or you may recognise where it has come from, either way, I'd encourage anyone with information about it to contact the investigation team."

The British Bankers' Association has offered a £25,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the men.

"This reward is there, available to you if you are that person who has the information we need to find and convict these men," added Mr Law.

Fired at windscreen

"Three extremely dangerous men are outstanding and their identities should not be protected, to use unnecessary violence in the way they did is unacceptable and they need to be caught."

Three members of staff was assaulted inside the bank before the two men escaped in a waiting red Ford Focus driven by a third man.

The gang later set fire to the vehicle and got into a silver Ford Mondeo just off Crown Lane.

As a police van drew up behind the Mondeo, one of the robbers got out with a shotgun, stood in front of the vehicle, aimed and fired at the windscreen.

A 26-year-old police officer suffered facial injuries from flying glass and his 40-year-old female colleague suffered shock.