Masked raiders hold Black Country supermarket staff at gunpoint

Workers at Lidl in Friar Park Road, Wednesbury, said they were threatened with a gun before the robbers escaped with cash.

The robbery happened at 8.20pm on Thursday, 40 minutes before the store was due to close.

Police have launched an investigation into the robbery and detectives have begun trawling CCTV footage in the area.

The store was open as normal yesterday just hours after the terrifying raid. Bosses have not commented on the incident.

Around a dozen police officers attended the scene on Thursday evening as the hunt for clues began.

Shocked residents reacted to the raid yesterday.

Kelly Woodford, aged 29, who lives opposite the discount supermarket on Friar Park Road, had been in the store only a couple of hours before the robbery.

She said: "I go in there all the time, it's scary really. I'm surprised it was up and running again so soon.

"There were loads of police in the area. I can' t remember anything that serious happening around here."

Sunny Singh was working in the Costcutter store just yards away at the time of the robbery.

He said: "There was police everywhere. Some were going past and some were going onto the estate.

"There were about six or seven cars and unmarked Audis and BMWs."

Mr Singh, 23, said he thought shoppers in the store at the time would have been terrified.

"It is not every day you get someone coming into a shop with a gun in their hand," he said.

John Haddock, who lives in Sandy Road, said: "It is the first time I have heard about it being robbed. You never hear about anybody being robbed with guns around here."

Police want to speak to anybody who was in the area at the time and may have seen what happened.

DC Dan Smith, from Sandwell Police, said: "Officers have launched an investigation and are trawling through CCTV in the area in a bid to identify the suspects.

"Anyone with information is asked to contact DC Dan Smith from Sandwell Police on 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111."