POLICE are hunting a masked gunman who escaped with more than £1,000 after holding up a Southampton pizza house.

The raider burst into the rear of Domino's Pizza at Stag Gates in The Avenue shortly before 2.30am yesterday.

Brandishing a black pistol, he ordered terrified staff to lay on the floor and hand over cash before herding them into a cellar at gunpoint. No one was injured in the robbery but DC Neil Cutting said the three members of staff - two men and a woman - had been traumatised by the hold-up and would be offered victim support counselling.

He added: "Clearly, this is a very frightening experience for people just going about their normal day's work and we are anxious to catch the perpetrator - particularly as the incident involved firearms."

The franchise manager, assistant manager and a delivery man had been in the process of cashing up and cleaning up at the fast food outlet when a phone call came in between 2am and 2.20am from a man purporting to be a police officer.

Staff were told that two men found in possession of counterfeit £20 notes were in custody and the bogus policeman believed some may have been tendered at Domino's.

Serial numbers were issued and staff were checking £20 notes when five minutes later the masked gunman burst in brandishing a pistol and ordered them to get down onto the floor before he grabbed £1,160 and then shut them in a cellar while he made good his escape.

The white man police are hunting is described as 5ft 8in and slim. He was wearing a navy blue or black three-quarter-length zip-up coat and dark trousers.

DC Cutting said the gunman was also wearing some form of hat pulled down to just above his eyes.

He also wore a scarf or had his collar turned up so that only his eyes were visible.

Detectives are appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time to contact them. Officers would also like to hear from anyone else who has received similar calls about counterfeit cash.

Anyone who can help should contact Southampton Central CID on 0845 045 4545 or the confidential Crimestoppers number: 0800 555 111.