A TAKE-AWAY trip turned to terror for a Leigh man who was threatened with a knife and then had his car rammed by a robbers' getaway car.

Freelance photographer Dave Billinge won't forget his visit to McDonald's at Lowton's Stone Cross Park.

He decided not to use the restaurant's drive-through facility but parked-up to avoid a queue and walked towards the entrance.

What he did not know was at that moment an armed robbery was in progress inside where terrified staff were threatened and what Police said was described as a stun gun.

Mr Billinge, 43, said: "I went to the side door, but couldn't open it. I didn't realise what was going on.

"I saw a red Sierra with the passenger door open. There was no driver in and the engine was running. I thought it was just someone messing about or someone who had got their order wrong.

Ski mask

"I was about to go into the front door when I saw a young lad inside. He turned round and I saw he was wearing a ski mask."

Mr Billinge went back to his car and rang the police. But as he was making the call one of the robbers threatened him with a knife and told him to get off the phone. He moved his car and rang the police again.

He said: "The police told me to stay on the scene. Next thing the robbers piled out of McDonald's and into a car. They then rammed their car into mine while I was inside it. They almost lost control of their car by ramming into my car but they managed to drive off. I'm lucky they didn't do more damage to the car."

He says damage will cost an estimated £500 to repair.

The three robbers, all described as white, abandoned the Sierra which had been stolen earlier from the Hulme area of Manchester, on Fulwood Avenue in Lowton. They got into a second unidentified car which shot off towards the East Lancashire Road.

Police inquiries are continuing.