Police from Lake Illawarra Local Area Command are investigating an armed robbery that occurred in a general store at Kiama yesterday.

About 4pm (Monday 3 December 2012), two female employees, aged 46 and 51, were working inside the Manning Street premises when two men, one armed with a double barrel shotgun, entered the store.

The armed man pushed the barrel of the firearm against the head of the 46-year-old woman and demanded she open the till.

She complied as the second man also walked behind the counter and removed money and cigarettes.

As the two men were leaving, a 54-year-old man entered the shop and confronted the men. He was pushed out of the way before they got into a white sedan, similar to a Nissan Pulsar, and left the scene heading north on manning Street then west into Barney Street.

A crime scene was established and police from Lake Illawarra are appealing for public assistance.

The ared man was described to police as wearing a black balaclava and dark clothing, he was about 175cm tall with a medium build, red coloured hair and aged in his late twenties.

The second man was described as wearing a grey hooded jumper, he was about 180cm tall with a skinny build and aged in his mid twenties.