18 October 2012 Last updated at 07:25 ET

Harpurhey shop staff attacked with hammer, axe and crowbar

The men were attacked with a hammer, an axe and a crowbar

Two supermarket workers have been left with head and back injuries after being attacked with a hammer, an axe and a crowbar during a robbery in Manchester.

Four masked men forced their way into the KP Supermarket on Tavistock Square in Harpurhey on Saturday evening as the two employees were locking up.

They attacked the staff members before escaping with "a large quantity of cash", a police spokesman said.

He said the "extremely shocked" men were recovering from their injuries.

He added that "during the violent struggle, the robbers hit them over the head with a hammer".

All four have been described as white, aged between 25 and 28, and wearing balaclavas or hoods and dark clothing.

Det Con Tina McAndrew said the four had used "shocking levels of violence during this raid".

"The staff were effectively rushed by the robbers, so they had little option but to struggle with them," she said.

"They clearly came off much worse as these offenders were determined to use whatever violent means necessary to escape with the cash."