DETECTIVES are hunting armed robbers after two raids in the region.

Two men, armed with a baseball bat and a knife, robbed Thresher's off-licence, in Claremont Road, Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, at 9.50pm on Saturday.

They threatened store workers and made off with an undisclosed amount of money and goods. No one was hurt in the raid.

The first robber was described as 5ft 8in, of stocky build and was wearing dark clothing and a light green balacava. His accomplice was 6ft 1in, slim, wearing dark clothing and a dark balaclava. Both had Tyneside accents.

In a separate incident, a man fled in a stolen car after a bungled attempt to rob the post office in Coatsworth Road, Gateshead.

The would-be robber entered the building at 3pm on Friday and tried to smash the counter's security screen with either an axe or a hammer.

When this failed, he fled in a stolen, dark blue Vauxhall Astra, which was later found abandoned nearby.

He was wearing a dark woollen mask and is believed to be white.

Anyone with information on the Thresher's raid is asked to contact detectives on 0191-214 6555, while witnesses to the post office raid are asked to call 0191-454 7555