A TERRIFIED restaurant manager is having trauma counselling after armed robbers escaped with thousands of pounds of Bank Holiday takings.

He was forced at gun point to hand over more than £10,000 in the car park of Dartford's Harvester restaurant.

Janice Clark, of Six Continents Retail, which owns the chain, refused to name him but confirmed he had accepted the company's offer of help.

The incident happened on Tuesday, April 2, as the manager got into his car to go to the bank. Three robbers, one brandishing a handgun, jumped out of a white Bedford van, charged across the car park and ordered him to hand over the cash.

They sped off in a blue V-reg Rover car, later found burnt out in New Barn Park, Swanley. Police sealed off the car park in Princes Road for two hours while a team of forensic experts scoured the area for clues. The van was impounded.

A North Kent Police spokesman said: "This was obviously planned and we'd like to speak to anyone who might have information about it."

The attackers are white, aged about 19 or 20. One, described as 5ft 9in tall with brown eyes and short black hair, was wearing a black padded jacket and a white baseball cap. Another had a mole on his left cheek and was wearing a gold hooped earring, while the third had very short black hair with sideburns.

If you have information about the attack, at 10.40am, should call 01322 283154.

April 8, 2002 18:30