TWO men are to be questioned by detectives later today following an armed robbery at an estate post office yesterday.

The second suspect, a 29-year-old man, was arrested in the Stanley area of County Durham earlier today.

He joins a 20-year-old man detained shortly after the raid at Moorside Post Office, near Consett, County Durham, at around 2.30pm yesterday.

The pair, from the Derwentside area of the county, were being held at Consett Police Station where they will be questioned later today.

It follows the raid at the post office in which two masked men, thought by staff to be armed with a hand gun, burst into the premises on the A692 Consett Road, and demanded money.

The post master and a sole customer were in the premises at the time.

No shots were fired during the incident and both were said to be left shocked, but unhurt.

The raiders fled with a small amount of cash after alarms were triggered.

Information given to police led armed officers to seal off a house in nearby Thornfield Road, in The Grove, where the 20-year-old man was arrested in the garden.

Police spoke to another man in the street shortly afterwards.

He was not arrested, but agreed to go to Stanley Police Station where he was questioned by investigators.

A police negotiator spoke to a woman in the house and she, too, was not arrested, but agreed to attend the local police station.

Both were later released.

Acting Detective Inspector Tony Dumighan appealed for anyone in the area around the post office both before and after the incident to come forward.

He would also like to speak to people in the Thornfield Road area immediately afterwards.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0845-60 60 365, or anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers' hotline, on (0800) 555111.