RAIDERS drilled through a wall and hid overnight before holding up two shop managers.

The three gunmen forced the managers to open a safe and then bundled them into two tiny cupboards.

As the hunt for the three gunmen continued in East Grinstead today, police admitted they were stunned at the lengths the robbers went to. They:

Forced open a side door to an empty warehouse.

Drilled and smashed through a partition wall and climbed into the shop.

Lay in wait several hours for the managers to arrive.

Detectives believe they used carpentry tools including a brace and bit to drill through the wall.

The gunmen pounced as the 26-year-old manageress and her 24-year-old assistant manager walked through to a rear stockroom at Majestic Wine Warehouse in London Road at 10.30am yesterday.

Each wielding handguns, they threatened the victims and forced the assistant to open a safe containing several hundred pounds.

They then bound their hands and pushed them into two small cupboards, locked the doors, and fled with the keys.

Awoman shopper came in seconds later and raised the alarm.

The robbers ran off towards Moat Road. One of them was carrying a black and orange carpet bag.

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