An 84-year-old woman has been left shocked after one of three armed robberies at post offices in Northern Ireland.

The police are appealing to the public to come forward with any information about any of the robberies in Counties Armagh and Antrim.

The 84-year-old was held at gunpoint during the robbery of the post office in Richhill in County Armagh by two men at about 1500 BST on Friday.

The police said she was left badly shaken after her ordeal.

The thieves made off with a large sum of money and postage stamps.

One of the men was described as six feet tall and slim, while the other is five feet ten inches tall and overweight.

Security screen broken

In another post office robbery in Newtownabbey in County Antrim on Friday morning, thieves used a breeze block to smash a security screen at the counter.

Two men, one armed with a handgun, were involved in the robbery of the Abbotts' Cross post office shortly before 1030 BST.

They made off with a large sum of money in a red Ford Escort car which drove off in the direction of the Shore Road.

The car was later found burnt out in Armoy Gardens in the mainly loyalist Rathcoole housing estate.

Employee threatened

A gun was put to a postal assistant's head during a robbery at Main Street in Glenavy in County Antrim shortly before midday on Friday.

The man kept the gun at her head while the other robber, armed with a pickaxe handle, kept watch by the door.

The two then escaped in a waiting red Astra car.

It was later found burnt out in Crumlin.