DETECTIVES are not ruling out the possibility that an armed gang who held up a supermarket last month may have committed other raids throughout the North-East.

The robbers are still on the run a month after the attack, say detectives hunting the gang.

A female security guard was held at gunpoint and forced to hand over money in the raid at Tesco, in Eaglescliffe, near Stockton, on November 16.

So far, no arrests have been made and police investigations are continuing into the robbery, which involved at least four people.

Detective Inspector Dave Turnbull, of Cleveland Police, said: "We are still following a number of lines of inquiry in this investigation. We are keeping an open-mind regarding links with similar crimes that have happened around the country."

The robbers got away with a substantial amount of money, believed to run into five figures during the early afternoon raid.

Two men carrying handguns and with their faces covered by Balaclavas robbed the security van, which was visiting the store to load money into a cashpoint machine.

One of the gang pointed his gun at the female security guard and forced her to hand over security boxes.

A second masked gunman stood guard near the entrance to the store and confronted a number of customers, ordering them to stay away.

The duo then escaped into a nearby housing estate and ran down an alleyway near the store, in Urlay Nook Road, where it is believed a getaway car, an Audi A6, was waiting for them.

The car was driven a couple of hundred yards away into Aspen Road and abandoned.

Three men were seen running across a footbridge to Newsam Road. At that point, it is believed a gun was fired.

The gang are thought to have had a second vehicle, a light-coloured car, waiting for them before speeding off towards Yarm Road.

Officers believe the raid was the work of a highly organised gang and possibly carried out by people from outside the area.

Anyone with information is asked to call Stockton police, on 01642-302226, or Crimestoppers, on 0800-555111.