ROBBERS staged a brazen daylight raid on a Southampton city centre jewellers, causing terror among shoppers and sparking a county-wide hunt for their stolen getaway car.

Stunned shoppers in Above Bar Street saw a car pull up outside prestigious Parkhouse & Wyatt jewellers and two masked men jump out.

One stood with a baseball bat threatening the gathering crowd while the other started smashing at the store's window with a sledgehammer.

Once the reinforced glass gave way they grabbed what police described as "a large quantity of items", including expensive Patek Philippe watches, which can cost as much as £30,000 each.

The getaway car, which had been stolen in Shirley on Friday, then sped away, narrowly avoiding crashing into a bus before it disappeared.

As the group made to leave, a member of the public tried to stop them, first missing with a swing at one of the robbers, then taking a karate-style kick at his departing back-end.

Police scrambled the spotter plane to track down a silver Subaru and are appealing to the public to be on the lookout.

Meanwhile, the area was taped off while forensics teams analysed the scene and officers picked up CCTV footage to study.

Staff were said to be shocked but unhurt by yesterday's 2.40pm smash and grab.

Stunned bystanders could not believe what they had just witnessed.

Mark Allen said: "I was by the bus stop on the other side of the road and I saw this car pull up. I thought 'That was a bit quick,' and then two blokes dressed in black with masks on got out. One smashed the window and the other tried to grab stuff.

"I was shocked, stunned. It was horrible and not what you expect in Southampton."

Colleen Moore, assistant manager of the Tchibo coffee shop across the road, said: "We heard banging and then there were lots of people running away with children. There was one guy behind the bonnet of the car with a baseball bat threatening everyone around. He was very aggressive.

"Another guy had a sledgehammer and he was there for a couple of minutes hammering at the window.

"It was like something off the TV. It wasn't real. I've never seen anything like it before."

The nearby Scholl shop sheltered worried shoppers running from the scene.

"My heart was pounding," said Christine Stanley, senior foot-care assistant.

Police said the value of the stolen jewellery was as yet unknown and appealed for the public to help catch the gang.

A spokeswoman said: "Police have an urgent appeal to the public to keep an eye out for the silver Subaru. They stole a large quantity of items before leaving the store but we don't know the value. We would like to hear from anyone who saw the vehicle."

Anyone with information should contact police on 0845 045 4545.