A GUNMAN who went on a drink and drug-fuelled rampage in a Hampshire town has been jailed indefinitely to protect the public.

Ian Smith left a trail of panic in his wake after first raiding an off-licence where he pointed an airgun in his victim's face and then trying to rob a nearby convenience store.

At one point the 23-year-old, who was high on a mix of medication and alcohol, even walked into a packed restaurant brandishing the weapon and forced the manager to tell customers to flee as there was an armed man on his premises.

Smith's rampage was fuelled by a cocktail of depression and anxiety medication and alcohol.

Following his arrest he told police he had felt "invincible" under their influence, but that he had not pre-planned the attempted robberies.

The incidents began at the Threshers store in Lyndhurst's High Street when Smith, who was already on bail for criminal damage and theft, walked into the store, loaded his air pistol and pointed it at shop assistant John Sherwood - who he knew.

Gun Holding the gun about two feet from the victim, an agitated Smith told him: "I don't want any messing about, Jack. This is loaded and if you touch the security button, I'll use it."

Mr Sherwood was told to open the tills and Smith grabbed a fistful of notes, which he stuffed into his pocket.

Smith then walked to the assistant's side of the counter to get him to open the safe.

When told he couldn't, Smith filled a black bin liner with cigarettes and ordered the shop assistant to get more. Then, while his back was turned, Mr Sherwood suddenly heard the gun being fired and the sound of a pellet smashing into something at the back of the shop.

Southampton Crown Court heard how a customer then came into the shop.

Smith then pointed the gun at him and demanded his wallet, however the customer told him: "What do you think you're playing at?"

Minutes later, Smith entered Prezzo's Italian restaurant where he asked the chef Joel Dasilva to move his car. He then again produced the air pistol but Mr Dasilva and manager Agnieszka Kurtyka ran off, telling startled customers: "There's a man with a gun, get out."

The court heard Smith then headed to a New Forest pub where a customer took the gun off him, but shortly afterwards he went to Tesco Express in Calmore where he pretended to be armed and told shop assistant Dawn Knight not to press the alarm button or he would shoot her.

Mrs Knight however got behind the security door and Smith was confronted by manager Ian Lane who immediately realised he wasn't armed. Smith grabbed a couple of bottles of champagne and swung one at Mr Lane but missed.

Smith, of Garden Close, Calmore, pleaded guilty to robbery, attempted robbery and possessing an imitation firearm for robbery and putting people in fear of violence.

In mitigation, Louise Culleton described how Smith had mixed drink with medication prescribed for depression and anxiety.

She said the offending was unplanned and the pellet had been accidentally discharged. She added: "It wasn't aimed at anyone and he had no intention of using it."

Passing sentence, Judge Derwin Hope said Smith posed a significant risk to the public.