TWO masked men held up a bookmakers at knifepoint while punters were placing their bets.

The robbers struck at the Tote bookies in the Precinct in Walderslade village, Chatham, at about 3.15pm yesterday.

One jumped the counter armed with a knife and told the young woman assistant to open the safe while the other stood by with another "implement". They snatched more than £400 from the safe and till.

The two white men, aged 25 to 30, drove off in a white Vauxhall Cavalier, been stolen from Anchorage House in Chatham High Street two hours earlier.

Det Sgt Richard Dicker said: "Although it happened very quickly, there were four or five people in the shop at the time as well as people outside, so we would appeal to anyone who saw the incident, or who saw the car making off or anyone hanging around before the robbery, to come forward."

The car was driven off along Robin Hood Lane towards the M2. The robbers were about 5ft 7in and spoke with local accents.

An hour earlier, a youth tried to rob a store in Gillingham, threatening staff with what could have been a gun.

When he was told there was no cash he ran out of the Roberts General Stores in Featherby Road, where his accomplice was waiting in a getaway car.

They drove off in a small white L-registration vehicle towards Eastcourt Lane, Twydall. The teenager who went into the shop at about 2.15pm was aged between 14 and 18, slim and about 5ft 8in. He was wearing a black Puffa jacket and a black hood with a scarf around his face. The driver was wearing a fawn-coloured fleece with its hood up.

If you have any information about either of these incidents, ring the police on 01634 884252 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.