THE owner of a Bury bookies was stabbed in the face and a shopkeeper robbed at knife point in two separate robberies yesterday afternoon.

Two men burst into Hamer's Bookmakers just before 1pm and attacked Mr Malcolm Hamer with a knife before grabbing cash and running from the shop in Parr Lane, Unsworth.

The thieves escaped in a stolen Vauxhall Cavalier which was later abandoned in nearby Marsden Close.

The raiders were white and in their late teens.

Mr Hamer was taken to Bury General Hospital for treatment to his injuries which were not described as serious.

Forty minutes later, around £80 in cash was taken during an armed raid on a shop in Manchester Old Road, Bury.

The shopkeeper was held at knife point by a man who took cash from the till.

Detectives from Bury were last night interviewing witnesses and victims to establish the identities of the offenders.