A POSTMASTER and his son chased a suspected robber after an attempt to hold up a Blackburn post office today.

Mill Hill postmaster John Willis and his son Nigel gave chase after the incident, in New Chapel Street, at 10.15am.

Nigel was at the counter when a man came in holding what he believed to be a gun wrapped in a carrier bag.

The man pushed another bag under the counter and demanded money. Mr Willis was in the back of the premises and shouted to his wife Sheila to call the police.

Mr Willis said: "He was shouting and getting abusive and my son said he wasn't going to give him anything.

"He was getting aggravated, but he panicked and ran when I came in. We chased him about 400 yards around the back of the community centre." An accomplice was believed to be waiting in a car.

Armed police and the police helicopter searched for the suspects.

Inspector Bob Ford said: "There appears to have been an attempt to rob the premises. No gun shots were discharged and nobody was injured.

"The helicopter searched for the suspects and two men have been detained in connection with the incident."

Police officers began house-to-house inquiries in connection with the incident.

It is the second time the post office has been targeted by robbers. In a separate incident last year, John, a former Blackburn Rovers player, and his wife Sheila were kidnapped at their Ribble Valley home and driven to the post office by masked raiders.

The offenders forced Mr Willis to open the safe before emptying it's contents and escaping in the couple's car.

Mr Willis said: "It shocks you for a while but we haven't closed and we are not going to. We will carry on."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.