TWO victims of an armed post office raid have relived their ordeal in the wake of the New-port bank robbery.

Jane Lewis and Rachael Yates, who were working at Usk Post Office when it was attacked, say they still have nightmares two years after the incident.

They said that hearing about Monday's shooting at the Halifax building society in Commercial Street, Newport, brought back all the bad memories.

"It's two years since I had a gun held to my head and every day I feel on edge," said sub postmistress Mrs Lewis, 35.

The three armed men who attacked her store also held knives to a customer's throat and threatened a pensioner with a cosh before stealing £2,000.

Mrs Lewis said: "I'll never really get over it. I am never relaxed and I'll never be the person I was.

"Whenever we have a difficult customer I don't laugh it off, because I know what people are capable of.

"I have moved on but I will never forget. "As time goes on I have calmed down. But whenever I read something like that it comes flooding back and I relive it.

"I really feel for the people involved because I know what they are going through," she said.

Also working at the post office that day was 19-year-old clerk Rachael Yates. She thinks the robbery has affected her personality.

"Before it happened I was very outgoing but I now find it much harder to relax and talk to new people.

"I don't go out as much and when I do it is not easy to enjoy myself." Her recovery has been helped by counselling from Victim Support. "We had counselling and it was really useful. You need to be able to talk about what happened with someone who is just there to listen. "To be honest I think I always will need that help.

"An armed robbery is not something you just get over."

Three men were later convicted of the crime.