THREE masked and armed robbers raided a Marsh bank leaving one man injured.

The trio, armed with a machete and a hammer and wearing balaclavas, targeted HSBC on Westbourne Road at 3.10pm yesterday.

And just hours later Greater Manchester Police, working with West Yorkshire Police, arrested three men in connection with the robbery.

They also recovered a quantity of cash and all of the weapons believed to have been used in the raid.

Witnesses said they saw police speed off after a car along New Hey Road in the direction of the M62 shortly after the incident.

A male bank worker was treated by paramedics and taken to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, but could walk by himself and didn’t appear to be badly hurt.

All other HSBC employees were kept inside the Marsh bank while police carried out their investigations.

Gemma Noon, a hairdresser at Tiffany’s Salon opposite the bank, said: "The police brought a man out and took him into the ambulance but he didn’t look seriously injured. We didn’t notice anything until the police arrived and didn’t see anything suspicious."

A builder working on an office refurbishment said police told him the thieves got away with some cash.

The man, who did not want to be named, said: "The first we saw were two police cars whizzing up there (towards the M62) and then others stopping.

"Someone was taken to hospital, whether he tried to stand up for himself I don’t know.

"It’s been busy all day and there were people coming and going all the time so you don’t notice every car stopping."

Lee Dickson, who had just come out of KFC as police arrived, said: "There were a few police cars and I think one stopped outside the bank, but two carried on as fast as they could go along up the road, maybe about 50 or 60mph.

"It was as if they were chasing someone but I couldn’t tell what – other cars had to quickly move out of the way. It’s pretty scary to think they could have been armed."

Police are now holding the two men arrested in Manchester and are due to question them about the raid.

ATheir investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0845 6060606 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.