A £5,000 reward has been offered after a lone robber staged an armed robbery outside the Argos store in Bury.

The masked thug hit a security guard over the head before fleeing with a cash box containing a "substantial" amount of money, believed to be around £20,000.

Police later recovered the getaway car and the cash box, which had been emptied of its contents.

The drama happened at 4pm on Wednesday outside the Argos store in George Street.

As the 27-year-old Securicor guard was approaching the premises with the cash box, he was suddenly confronted by the masked raider.

The guard was struck over the head with a shotgun and he fell to the ground.

Police say the gunman then grabbed the cash box before sprinting to a nearby blue-coloured Audi car. He started it and sped off. The car, which had earlier been stolen from Salford, was later found abandoned in Wash Lane, Bury.

Detectives say the man was 5ft 10inch tall and wearing a full-face balaclava, black padded jacket and green trousers.

Police say it is unusual for just one offender to be involved in such an incident.

The security guard was shaken and suffered shock but did not require hospital treatment.

Now, Securicor is offering a £5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the culprit.

Anyone who witnessed the raid, and who has not been spoken to by police, should ring Detective Constable David Mortimer at Bury CID on 856 8150 or, alternatively, freephone CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111.

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