AN ARMED gang of thieves twice targeted a Hampshire jewellers as part of a series of raids to net them £1.5m of jewellery.

A court heard how a trio of robbers got "too cocky" by trying to raid Jeremy France Jewellers in Winchester for a second time in a year.

Elliott Burton, Luke Nash and Simon Waller were caught by police after the owner of the jewellery store, in High Street, installed a number of security devices including a state-of-the-art smoke machine - and an alert pet dog called Daisy.

Burton, 38, of South Acre Avenue, Birmingham and Nash, 25, of Newlyn Road, Birmingham were convicted of being involved with nine raids across the south and the Midlands, including the Winchester jewellers, at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday.

Burton was convicted despite not being at court after absconding while on bail to deal with a family matter.

Waller, 28, of Outwood Drive, Birmingham, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to the string of robberies, which took place between November 2005 and May last year.

Today the gang are facing jail after the court case concluded in Birmingham yesterday, while the hunt was on to find Burton.

The jury heard that the gang were finally apprehended after the second attempt to rob the Winchester store, in December 2006, went wrong.

In November the year before they had already got away with a "considerable booty" which was estimated to be around £200,000.

Prosecutor Charles Gabb told the court: "They thought that seemed like a good place, we will go and do that one again. That was a nice shop, he the shopkeeper should have restocked by now."

The court heard how the raiders were stopped after owner Jeremy France's pet dog Daisy raised the alarm, and they were unaware of the new security devices.

Nash also dropped a glove containing his DNA.

Speaking outside the court Mr France, who attended the hearing, said he was "extremely pleased" with the verdict and praised the actions of Daisy.

"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.

Shock "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.

The court heard how Burton was convicted in his absence after it was believed he had fled the country while on bail.

Following the conviction, Judge Trevor Faber told the jury that the court had "no idea" where he had gone.

Prosecutor Charles Gabb said: "I've tried to put measures in place to stop him leaving the country, although I fear he has already done so."

Nash was also found guilty of possessing an imitation firearm during the Winchester raid.

In the gang's most successful heist, they stole 87 luxury watches, including Cartier, Rolex, Tissot and Patek Phillippe brands, worth about £500,000 from Rudell The Jewellers in Birmingham, in May 2006.

The court heard a boy aged nine was in a Cheshire jewellers when the raiders struck in August 2006.