A MAN shot in the arm as he fled a masked gunman admitted: "If I didn't react as fast as I did, I am certain I would be dead today."

Mark Paxton, aged 30, thought the two men who approached him with double-barrelled, sawn-off shotguns wanted to kidnap him and hold him overnight.

The Mount St Joseph School teacher said the sight of two 12-inch long guns shocked him into running away.

Mr Paxton lives in a flat above Chequerbent Post Office in Park Road, Westhoughton. He believes the gunmen were under the mistaken impression he had a key to the business.

The two men walked towards him while he was unloading his car at 10pm on Tuesday.

Mr Paxton ran and he heard one of the men shout: "Stop or I'll shoot". The gunman pulled the trigger as soon as he uttered the last word.

Mr Paxton ended up with four pellets lodged in his flesh.

He has been to hospital to have them removed but doctors have decided to leave them in because they are difficult to access.

He said: "I just had this feeling that I was going to be held hostage so I legged it as fast as I could.

"I heard a shout from behind and then immediately heard a blast and felt pain in my arm.

"I didn't dare look at it until I got into hospital. I remember thinking, 'what if it's hanging off?'

"I was scared to look at it because it would have distracted me from getting away from the two men."

The incident has shocked police, primarily because of the ease at which the gunman pulled the trigger. Detectives say it was a completely unprovoked attack.

DC Gary Davidson is treating it as attempted murder.

The gunmen left in a car which sped down an alley behind the post office.

They are described as white, in their late 20s and wearing black clothing and balaclavas. A motive has not been clearly established but police believe they wanted to raid the post office.

Mr Paxton said: "I feel angry at being shot but pleased I foiled a robbery. The shock hasn't hit me yet. I just find the whole thing pointless." On Wednesday September 4, two masked robbers armed with shotguns escaped with cash after threatening staff and customers at the same Post Office.