I thought I could die

Special constable Gareth McCormick was attacked as he stopped at the cashpoint at the Sainsbury's superstore on Redearth Road, Darwen.

He was threatened with a handgun and hit across the head with a glass bottle before he managed to fight off his assailants.

He said the ordeal had been"a terrifying experience" and added: "As I stood there I wondered if I would still be alive in the next five minutes."

Mr McCormick, 21, who works as a special constable with British Transport Police in Preston, had stopped at the cashpoint at about 11pm on his way to meet some friends for a drink after work.

He said: "As I was getting the money out I could hear some voices and I had a sort of gut-feeling that something was going to happen. I started to walk back to my car and was approached by an Asian fella who asked me for directions to Bradford.

"I thought something odd was going on because he was holding a glass bottle in an odd way, not like he was going to drink from it, but raised up in the air.

"I took a step back and he said 'Listen, give us your money because my mate's got a gun.' "I saw one of the others pull out a silver butt from his pocket so I took my warrant card out to show them and took another step back, then I felt one of them clobber me round the head with the bottle and they ran off. I tried to run after them but I was very woozy, almost like I was drunk.

"The whole thing was very scary, I have never been in a confrontation with a gun before."

Mr McCormick, of Darwen, added: "It was a good job it was me really, that could have been a young lad beaten up or a girl raped. The cashpoint is in a terrible spot because it is very secluded. It is easy to get trapped."

Mr McCormick was taken to hospital after the attack with a five inch cut to the head.

Sainsbury's said they had had no reports of any previous incidents and no plans to install CCTV.

Darwen Police also said they had no reports of previous attacks in the immediate area.

Darwen Councillor Paul Browne said: "They should at least have a security light there because the cash point is in between a pub and the back of the store. It is in a bad place and I expected something like this to happen."

The attack occurred on Friday but police have only just released details after initial inquiries failed to trace the culprits.

Police described the attackers as three Asian men, all about 5ft 2ins. One was aged about 20, with scruffy black hair, a moustache and slim. He was wearing a three-quarter length green jacket with a hood. The second man was also slim with scruffy black hair and was wearing a cream jacket. The third attacker was aged about 20 and wearing a dark baseball cap and dark three-quarter length jacket.

Anyone with information should call Darwen Police on 01254 701777 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.