Police from Manning Great Lakes Command are investigating the circumstances surrounding an armed robbery in Taree at the weekend.

About 5.45am on Saturday, 24 November, 2012, two men, one armed with a baseball bat and the other with a metal pole, ran into a newsagency that was opening for the day on Crescent Avenue.

The men approached the service counter where a 69-year-old man was serving a customer.

The armed men repeatedly assaulted the employee with the weapons while a third offender entered the store and stole money from the till and a number of cartons of cigarettes.

The victim also had his wallet stolen before all three men ran from the store.

Emergency services were called and the 69-year-old was taken to hospital suffering fractures to his arms and skull.

He underwent surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.

Detectives are now searching for the men involved. At the time of the robbery the men had their faces covered. It’s believed they fled the area in a stolen Nissan 4WD, which has since been located, burnt out.