DETECTIVES are hunting a gang who robbed a Hampshire goldsmith in his home.

The Daily Echo understands that Lionel Pepper was tied up and badly beaten in the raid.

It is also thought that the robbers stripped Mr Pepper in a bid to get him to tell them where cash and jewellery was kept.

He raised the alarm by banging on a neighbour’s door, covered in blood.

Mr Pepper, who operates his Internet-based business from his home in West Wellow, needed hospital treatment after his ordeal.

Last September his car was broken into on his driveway and thieves got away with £100,000 of gold rings and gems stashed in display boxes.

His website, Amulet, specialises in selling wedding rings.

Neighbour Mike Ford said residents cannot believe what has happened.

He told the Daily Echo: “Everyone is talking about it and neighbours are shell-shocked. This is normally a quite village on the edge of the New Forest.

There wasn’t any serious crime here until he had his jewellery stolen several months ago. It’s not widely known that he runs his business from home.

“I learned what happened the next morning, when a friend called by after discovering the road was cordoned off by the police.

“Two plain clothes detectives who knocked on my door later told me there’d been a nasty incident and they asked me if I’d heard about it. The following day the police did a leaflet drop appealing for witnesses.

His house is still cordoned off.”

Police confirmed that the incident had taken place and that inquires were ongoing.

Anyone with information about the robbery, which happened at about 6pm on Wednesday, February 3, is asked to contact Andover CID on 101.