Police are investigating the armed robbery of a licensed premises at Crescent Head on the Mid-North Coast last night.

About 9:30pm, Sunday 29 April 2012, two staff members were leaving the tavern on Main Street when they were confronted by two males who had their faces covered.

The employees were threatened with a knife and a tyre-lever before being forced back inside the tavern and made to lay on the ground.

A third member of staff was then threatened with the knife and forced to open the safe.

The armed men stole cash from the safe before unsuccessfully attempting to break into a poker machine and then fleeing the premises. No one was injured during the robbery.

Police were contacted and attended the tavern where they establish a crime scene which was examined by specialist forensic officers

Detectives from the Mid-North Coast Local Area Command are investigating the robbery and believe up to four males may have been involved.

One of the males is described as wearing a balaclava while another was wearing a hooded top and had a handkerchief covering his face.