POLICE have released information of two men they want to speak to after a cash delivery driver was robbed and 'terrorised' in Atherton.

The pair wore balaclavas and one was armed with a sledgehammer when they attacked the man who was filling a cash machine at McColls on Car Bank Street at 9.30am on Saturday.

The armed man threatened the driver and demanded he opened up the machine.

The second man removed two cash boxes and passed them to the other, who smashed them open with the sledgehammer.

A third box was taken out of the machine but the dye alarm was activated when the men tried to open it.

Detectives say the pair stuffed the cash into a holdall and fled the scene in a black VW Toureg that was waiting on Formby Avenue towards the Hagfold estate.

The vehicle was later found abandoned on Cowper Avenue at around 9.40am and was set on fire close to houses.

Three men were seen leaving the vehicle carrying a holdall and they then fled the area in a white cadi type van.

One man was described as white, 5ft 7ins tall, medium build, wearing a black balaclava, all black clothing and black gloves.

The second man was described as white, wearing all dark clothing, a black balaclava, black gloves and was carrying a large sledgehammer and black holdall.

DC Lynsey Watson-Perry, from GMP’s Wigan borough, said: “These men have terrorised a man who was simply out trying to make a living and he is lucky that he wasn’t physically injured.

“It happened early in the morning on a busy road where people would have been out and about.

“They have then burned out a vehicle on an estate which could have could have set fire to nearby houses.

“We are appealing to anyone who may have been in the area at the time and witnessed this brazen robbery to come forward.

“We would also like to speak to anyone who may have seen a similar vehicle acting suspiciously in the area in the days leading up to this incident to contact us.”

Anyone with information should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, 0800 555 111.