SECURITY guards fought with armed robbers during a £76,000 robbery at a store.

The guards were attacked as they went to fill up a cash machine at Healds Day and Nite, Padiham.

Today they were praised by police for putting up "substantial resistance" during which one robber was hit on the arm with shelving and the other given "a good whack" in the face with a fist.

The guards were also injured during the fracas but allowed home following treatment at Burnley General Hospital.

Det Insp Simon Leach said: "They were very, very brave."

Police believe the robbers were seriously enough injured that they have been making inquiries at hospitals in the Greater Manchester area.

The shop was open at the time although the robbery took place at the back of the premises and customers and staff were unaware what had happened.

The robbers escaped in a black Peugeot car with two other people inside.

The Securicor men were making the delivery at 8pm last night and had just gone into the premises when two men ran down a back street from Hapton Street shouting "Give us the money".

One of the men was brandishing an instrument with a metal blade possibly a knife or crowbar.

They spoke with what were thought to be Manchester accents.

DI Leach said: "The guards fought back. They put up a substantial amount of resistance. It is fortunate they were not more seriously injured."

The guards were giving detailed statements to detectives today.

The robbers got away with containers full of £10 and £20 notes.

A Peugeot which was driven off at speed is thought to have been seen on a car park in Hambledon Street some time earlier.

Two men were also seen taking photographs of the Securicor men as they were making a delivery at the Abbey National Bank about 20 minutes before the Healds raid.

One of the attackers is described as white, 5ft 8ins tall, stocky with a black moustache.

He was wearing an unusual green balaclava with holes for the eyes and mouth and with a green bobble on top.

He was also wearing a very distinctive grey and silver shellsuit and black gloves and believed to have a severe arm injury caused by the blow with the shelving.

The second man is also white, 6ft tall, slimmer and was wearing a black balaclava mask, black coat, dark trousers and grey trainers.

Neither staff or customers were involved in the incident which happened towards the rear of the premises.

Police are carrying out house to house inquiries in the area.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Burnley CID on 01282 472144 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.