A GANG armed with baseball bats smashed their way into a garden centre in an aggravated burglary.

The group, who were travelling in a white transit van, a white Peugeot 308 and a dark Volkswagen Golf, raided Bents Garden and Home in Glazebury shortly before midnight last Wednesday.

Police were deployed to the scene as the van reversed into a glass window allowing access to the Nevisport Trespass shop in the premises on Warrington Road.

The group stole a number of expensive coats.

As they attempted to escape one of the cars ploughed into a police vehicle.

An offender armed with a baseball bat got out of one of the cars and threatened an officer at the scene.

Police say he was left badly shaken.

The offenders left the van in Bents’ car park and drove off in the cars towards Leigh.

Managing director Matthew Bent said: “Sadly we can confirm that there was a raid on our Nevisport Trespass shop.

“Although it has caused some significant damage to property thankfully no-one was hurt.”

Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting incident number 1,064 of March 15, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.