Armed raiders emptied £20,000 from a safe at the Elstree Moat House Hotel early on Monday after binding and gagging terrified night staff.

Three white men, dressed in dark clothes and armed with a knife and a baseball bat, broke in through a door at the rear of the Borehamwood hotel just after 4am.

In a raid which lasted 15 minutes, four hotel employees were threatened -- and three of them were tied to chairs and had their mouths taped.

Before they cracked the safe, the intruders, who had London accents, told their victims that as long as they did what they were told, they would not be harmed.

Neither police nor the hotel management would confirm the amount stolen, but it is believed £20,000 in cash, the weekend's takings, were snatched.

Detective Constable Clive Wilkinson of the Whetstone-based burglary squad said the victims were in a state of shock but unharmed.

He said investigations were at an early stage and appealed for anyone with any information about the crime to telephone him on 0181 733 5204.

Neither police nor the hotel were prepared to reveal the identity of the victims. It is believed they are two male managers in their early 30s, a female receptionist in her late 20s and a teenage night porter.

The victim who was left unbound by the gang dialed 999 after the raiders had fled the scene.

A spokeswoman for the hotel said the staff, who had not returned to work, were "obviously shaken, but unharmed". She said: "The general manager, Chris Gillet, said he is very sorry that this has happened. He is offering the staff all the support he can."

It is hoped CCTV footage will help detectives track down the villains.

On Tuesday, DC Wilkinson said one man had been arrested and released on police bail, pending further inquiries. He added information from members of the public could help the investigation.

You can telephone Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 with information about any crime.

Callers will remain anonymous and can be eligible for a reward if your information is used.

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