A Hampshire jeweller today told how he had a gun held to his head during a raid on his shop.

But he added that his dog saved his store from being robbed by the masked raiders when they targeted his shop for a second time.

Jeremy France was speaking outside court after the gang had been convicted of a string of robberies across the country including his Winchester shop.

In total, the gang's haul was valued at as much as £1.5 million, Birmingham Crown Court heard.

Speaking outside the court Jeremy France, owner of the jewellers, told how he had a gun held to his head during the first raid in November 2005.

But he added that his dog Daisy had saved the shop when the robbers came back to raid them again in December 2006.

Mr France, who attended the hearing, said he was "extremely pleased" with the verdict.

"The robbers were very unpleasant," he said.

"In the first raid a gun was held to my head as I shielded a lady who was eight months' pregnant".

He said he knew it was a distinct possibility that the shop might be raided again so he took every precaution to make his business as secure as possible by installing a state-of-the-art smoke machine.

But it was his dog, Daisy, who really saved the day.

"She never barks," he said. "But when she saw all these men wearing ski masks come into the shop she started barking her head-off. So I looked up, saw the men, and pushed the button for the smoke machine."

"They got such a shock, they obviously had no idea we had installed it," he said.