A gunman threatened to shoot a customer at an Oxford post office before making his getaway on a bicycle.

The attacker walked into Cowley Road post office shortly after noon on Saturday.

He brandished what appeared to be a gun and held it at a terrified customer's back.

The postmistress hurriedly bundled 800 into a bag when he threatened to shoot people in the queue.

Six police cars rushed to the scene, but the man had already made his getaway on a bicycle along Morrell Avenue. No-one was injured. The 5ft 4in robber is described as a white male wearing dirty blue jeans, white trainers and a blue top.

He also wore a home-made balaclava with eye-holes cut out.

Pc Andy Heelas immediately launched an appeal for witnesses. He said he particularly wanted to trace a man who came into the shop shortly after the attack and disappeared again.

He said: "It was a strange time for a robbery to take place.

"There must have been many people around who could have seen it."

The Post Office declined to comment on the raid.