DETECTIVES are hunting two armed gangs following raids on separate businesses. On Thursday up to five men burst into a pub carrying knives and an axe and attacked a member of staff. They entered the Old Wirral Hundred in Capenhurst Lane, Great Sutton, just after 1am and demanded the keys to the safe. The gang, who were all wearing balaclavas, then assaulted the 40-year-old male employee by punching him a number of times in the face. Police say there were four other staff members also present but they weren't harmed. The offenders stole a quantity of cash from the safe and left in a silver car, possibly a Nissan Primera, heading toward the A41 in the direction of Birkenhead. Witnesses or anyone with information should call Chester, Ellesmere Port & Neston CID on 01244 616053. In the second raid masked robbers armed with a sledgehammer stole a large amount of cash from a betting shop in Ellesmere Port. The thieves, wearing balaclavas, burst into Manny Cook book-makers, Thelwall Road at 6.40pm on Tuesday, December 13. They used the sledgehammer to smash an internal door and gain access to the counter as three terrified members of staff locked themselves in the back room for safety. The three robbers then escaped with the money in a dark-coloured BMW vehicle which had its number plates blacked out with tape. Cheshire police spokesman Jon Ratcliffe said: 'The staff were shaken but uninjured. 'If anyone was in the Thelwall Road area at the time or saw anything suspicious then contact us immediately.' If you have any information, call DC Martin Johnson on 01244 616053. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. | 
