TWO post office workers have told of their horror after they were robbed by four men wielding hand axes.

Postmistress Kiran Chahal and shop assistant Kim Cole were both in Great Yeldham’s Post Office when the gang barged in and threatened them.

As one man blocked the door, the others hurdled the counter, forcing Mrs Cole out the back and demanding Mrs Chahal emptied the tills The thieves stole £800 in cash, as well as Mrs Chahal’s mobile phone, but the pair see the money as insignificant in comparison to what could have happened.

Mrs Cole, who has lived in the village for more than 20 years, said: “Neither of us could believe what was happening.

“We were getting ready to shut and lock up, when suddenly they stormed in. One stayed by the door and put the closed sign on, and another ran and jumped over the counter.

“They pushed me out the back and pushed me against the wall using the axe. It can’t have been much longer than three minutes, but it felt like a lifetime.

“I am very shaken, I was just screaming the whole time. Once they ran off we just stood here hugging, checking we were both okay.”

Mrs Chahal said she never expected such a horrific incident to happen in her shop.

She said: “It really was horrific.

“I could see the axes flying around “Quite regularly my teenage daughters come and help us close up, I am just thankful they were not here.

“It was surreal to be honest, I felt completely numb afterwards.

“Seeing Kim pushed out the back and hearing her screaming was horrible.

As a shopkeeper you always have that fear in the back of your mind that something like this may happen, but I never thought it would happen to me.”

The pair praised the support they received from Essex Police.

However, they believe the attack would not have happened if the police station opposite had not been closed in 2011. Mrs Cole said: “We cannot criticise the police, the support we received over the phone and once they arrived was amazing. But they did take 25 minutes to get here, and I am not being funny but anything could have happened in that time.

“It’s not their fault, it is the men upstairs who have made the cuts so we no longer have a local police force.

“This never would have happened if the police station was over the road, or even if we had officers doing rounds on the street.

“I think the criminals knew that there wouldn’t be a quick response.

“I am sure they knew they would probably have 20 minutes or more to do a runner before police arrived.”

A police spokesman said: “The suspects – who had hand axes – entered Great Yeldham Post Office in High Street, Great Yeldham, just before 5.30pm last Thursday.

“They demanded money from staff members and threatened them, before running off with the money.

“All four suspects had their faces covered. Two wore blue boiler suits with hoods, one wore a dark Nike tracksuit and the fourth wore a blue hooded top and light grey tracksuit bottoms.

“Police carried out a search of the area and enquiries are ongoing.”

Four males were arrested in connection with the incident, along with several other robberies in the district, but were later released without charge.

Witnesses should contact Detective Constable Greg Najdan at Braintree CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.