A WOMAN garage cashier was saved by bullet proof safety glass after a masked raider shot at her early today.

The man, armed with a single barrel sawn-off shotgun, was only inches from the protected kiosk when he fired, showering the attendant with glass splinters.

He fled from the petrol station on Bradford Road, Bolton, after snatching a purse from a woman who had been buying cigarettes from the kiosk.

A spokesman at the garage said: "It is amazing no-one was hurt. Only last week we were wondering whether the glass really was bullet proof - now we know." The raider, wearing a dark balaclava, struck at 2.45am. The attendant and customer suffered severe shock, but escaped injury.

A police spokesman said: "It was more luck than judgement that no one was badly hurt. For someone to be carrying a weapon like that and to be prepared to use it, is very frightening and shows he must be very desperate."

The cashier had started at the garage only one week ago. A colleague said: "She is very shocked, but determined she will return to work.

"It is unbelievable. It is the first time anything like this has happened here. It is disgusting to think what some people are prepared to do, for a very small amount of cash."

The gunman is white, aged 25 to 35 years, medium build.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Bolton CID on 0161 872 5050.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.