MASKED raiders threatened a bystander with a gun as they escaped from a village opticians with £66,000 worth of designer spectacles.

Four men wearing full-face balaclavas staged the attack on the Robin Standen Opticians in King Street, Whalley, at 8.30pm yesterday.

As the raiders made their escape their car mounted the pavement, narrowly missing a crowd of onlookers.

Inspector Bob Ford, of Blackburn Police, said one man stayed at the wheel of a black Ford Sierra, which had earlier been stolen from the Cheshire area, as the others broke through the front door of the shop.

They smashed their way into the display cabinets and stole designer spectacles and frames.

They were heard by Dominic Chapman who lives above a hairdressing salon next door.

He said: "I heard banging and looked out of the window and saw the shop being looted. I went out and shouted at them and one of the raiders threatened me with a brick. Another pointed at me and swore and I realised afterwards that he had been holding a gun. They then sped off, but mounted the pavement and tried to ram a group of people. It all happened so quick," he said. Bystanders Ian Mclean and Roy Mclean, who were visiting the village from Glasgow, and Bill Banks, of Hayhurst Road in Whalley, had just left a nearby restaurant and saw the raider point the gun at Mr Chapman.

"A masked man pointed a gun and theatened him, before getting in a car. Quite a few people had gathered around and the car drove towards them and mounted the pavement before making off. The bystanders were sent scattering," Ian said.

The car was driven off towards Clitheroe and was found abandoned at the Old Stone House restaurant in Mitton Road, Mitton.

Armed police went to the area but the raiders are believed to have escaped in another vehicle which had been left on the restaurant car park.

Inspector Ford said: "We made a full search of the area and made inquiries in the restaurant.

"It is strange to think that spectacles could have become such a valuable commodity.

"That certainly would not have been the case five years ago. "We would appeal for anyone who saw anything to come forward, and we want to hear from anyone who may have seen the black Ford Sierra, possibly with another vehicle, earlier in the evening."

All the raiders were wearing black clothing and one had a white stripe across his top.

Shaken shop proprietor Robin Standen said over 300 designer spectacle frames worth from £400 to £1,400 each were taken.

"I had just refitted the shop and been on a buying trip to Paris. These were the very best frames and it will take me months to replace them," he said.

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