THIS is the shocking moment brazen thieves staged a lengthy raid on a Swanage jewellers in front of a crowd of pub-goers.

Members of the gang took their time to break into the Georgian Gems jewellers in the High Street while about 20 customers gathered to watch yards away.

Two of the masked men entered the closed shop while two more stood outside armed with a machete and crowbar to scare off anybody who tried to intervene.

The raid was captured on CCTV and several camera phones.

In the video, a drinker can be seen throwing his pint glass at the offenders. A woman who bravely went to confront the men backed off when they threatened her with the crowbar.

Armed police found a white Volkswagen Golf linked to the crime abandoned several miles away.

Police are calling for witnesses to come forward after the incident, which happened at 7.50pm on Saturday. No arrests have been made.

Brian Barker, the owner of the jewellers, said: “One lady was particularly brave and she tried to tackle them but was threatened with crowbars and had to back off. She was the only person who did anything to her credit.”

“The police did their best and tried very hard to catch them but it was well planned and well thought out.”

The footage shows a white estate car pull up outside the jewellers and four masked men get out.

One hits the front door with a sledgehammer three times before two others enter the premises.

A spokesman for the White Swan pub opposite said drinkers were stunned.

They said: “There were about 15 or 20 customers who went outside and watched.

“Some had their iPhones out filming it all and others were on the phone to the police.

“I would have been very surprised had somebody tried to do something. One of them said that they had acid spray and to back off. They were heavily armed and it could have got violent.

“These guys were very calm and chilled out and didn’t seemed bothered about all the people about or police turning up.”

Mr Barker said he had been due to retire from the business he has run for 50 years at the end of this month but the robbery has brought that forward.

He added: “It’s not the ending I had planned.”