A gunman threatened staff at a Subway store in Crewe before taking cash from the till.
Detectives appealing for witnesses have released this CCTV image in a bid to trace the offender.
The armed robbery happened on Market Street at 7.20pm last night (October 18).
The gunman got in through the rear entrance and approached a member of staff in the kitchen area, threatened him with the gun and demanded money from the till.
A second member of staff was also present.
After taking the money, the offender fled the scene on foot in the direction of the Lyceum Theatre.
The offender is believed to be in his late 20s to mid 30s, 5ft 8in to 5ft 9in, stocky build and had a local accent.
He was wearing a black hooded coat, dark trousers and a dark hat and had a wolf mask covering his face. He also had a strap across his chest.
Detective Inspector Claire Jesson said: “The member of staff who was threatened has understandably been left extremely shaken up.
“He was subjected to a terrifying ordeal and we are committed to doing all that we can to trace the man responsible and bring him to justice.
“Enquiries into the incident are ongoing and I urge anyone with any information or footage that may help our investigation to come forward.
“It’s highly likely that the suspect will have been hanging around the town centre prior to committing his offence and I’m keen to hear from anyone who believes they may have seen him.
“If you saw anything suspicious in the area or think you may know the identity of the offender, or have dashcam or CCTV footage of him, please get in touch.”
Anyone with information that may help detectives with their investigation, no matter how small, should call Cheshire Police on 101, quoting IML 216272, give the details via https://cheshire.police.uk/contact/general-enquiries or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
To submit dashcam footage go online at www.cheshire.police.uk/advice-and-support/roads-and-vehicle-safety/submit-dashcam-footage
I don’t recognise the man but they were selling these masks outside the market centre I don’t know if there maybe something on the cameras of the person purchasing one.