Masked raiders carrying a gun, a knife and baseball bats threatened a four-year-old girl with the firearm during a violent robbery on a village store.

The child was in the One-Stop shop in Wooburn Green with her mother when the gunman pointed the weapon at her. He told her to "look away" as he stood near the door preventing the three staff and eight shoppers leaving.

The raider, who was also armed with a baseball bat, was part of a gang which attacked a shop assistant during the raid at 4.50pm on Thursday.

Shop manager Mahesh Patel, 29, told Midweek: "The young girl was very distressed during the incident and was shaking and sobbing."

Police have offered a £5,000 reward to catch the culprits.

DC Sarah Poolman, of High Wycombe CID, said: "This was a terrifying ordeal for all those people in the shop particularly the four-year-old and her mother."

The three men, wearing balaclavas, entered the store through the main entrance.

One of them hit a shop assistant over the head with a baseball bat before going to the post office counter at the back of the store where he tried to break the reinforced window, but failed. He then forced the assistant to hand over a substantial amount of cash.

The gang also took a tray from the shop till containing a large amount of cash.

The robbers got away with £4,000 in total, making their escape in a dark green car, possibly a Ford Focus or new-style Ford Fiesta.

The getaway driver was also wearing a balaclava and carrying a baseball bat.

Police have said they are not linking the incident with other recent post office robberies in the area.

Anyone with information can call DC Poolman on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111