SHOP workers at a Hampshire supermarket are to put their oven gloves back on after the money they raised for a good cause was stolen.

As previously reported, employees at the Co-Operative in Seymour Lane, North Baddesley were left in shock after a raid in which a staff member was hit in the head.

The incident happened on the evening of September 29 after 9pm, when one of three robbers forced a staff member to open a safe, before stealing all of the cash inside.

Daily Echo:

An employee was also hit on the head before two robbers stole a number of boxes from the cigarette counter.

More than £200 that shop workers raised through the Macmillan Coffee Morning they held on September 28 was also stolen during the raid.

But this has not put employees off and they are now preparing for a second Macmillan Coffee Morning on October 12.

Ivor Smith, store manager, said: “I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what we went through but the resilience of the team has been absolutely amazing.

“It has been an honour to not just manage them but to work alongside them and to work amongst such a great community."

As previously reported, all of the three offenders were wearing hoodies with hoods up, gloves and had their faces covered.

One was carrying a back pack and another was carrying a hippo bag.

Residents in the area had previously told the Daily Echo how two female staff members were threatened during the raid and Hampshire Police had confirmed that while shop workers were not injured in the incident, they were left "extremely distressed".

Mr Smith said: "Our local community has offered us so much support since the robbery – it has been really overwhelming. We have asked people to hold off making donations until our coffee morning which we are determined to make an even bigger success than last time.”

Southern Co-op’s community team has also agreed to match-fund all of the money made on Friday when cakes of all shapes, sizes and flavours will be on offer in store.

Meanwhike, a spokesperson for Hampshire Police said investigations are still ongoing.

Anyone with information is urged to call 101.