TWO raiders escaped with hundreds of pounds after hitting a club steward over the head and emptying a safe.

The raid happened just after midnight last night at the Rolls-Royce Sports and Social Club in Skipton Road, Barnoldswick.

The steward, who has not been named by police, was confronted by the robbers as he was clearing up the premises and preparing to leave for the night.

He was knocked unconscious and the blow left a large lump on his scalp.

The incident happened around 12.30am but the alarm was not raised until three hours later when the man regained consciousness.

He was taken to Burnley General Hospital for treatment but the injuries are not believed to be serious. Detectives were due to interview the 28-year-old man in hospital today to get more details about the incident.

Detective Sergeant Phil Vernon, of Colne CID, said: "The steward opened the door of the club and was confronted by two men. They went into the club and made off with the contents of the safe which amounted to several hundreds of pounds.

"We don't believe there was anyone else in the club at the time.

"A search was made of the surrounding area but no-one was found. The man has given us vague descriptions of the offenders but we will be talking to him further today to get more details about the incident."

The first robber is described as 5ft 9ins tall, in his early 20s, with short brown hair.

He was wearing a scarf across his face, jeans and a dark jacket and spoke with a local accent. The second raider is slightly taller, in his mid to late 20s and was wearing a black baseball hat, jeans and a workman's boot.

Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to contact Colne CID on Colne 863161 or any other police officer.

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