SHOCKING CCTV pictures show a robber wielding a handgun during a terrifying raid at a high-class York jewellers.

It is thought designer watches worth about £300,000 were stolen in the heist, which has strong similarities to another raid five months ago.

The robber was among a gang of three or four men, believed to be of Eastern European origin, who threatened staff at Harpers Jewellers, in Minster Gates, at 4pm last Thursday.

They used hammers to smash up window displays, and were seen loading watches into bags before scattering across York.

Detectives are investigating the possibility the crime is linked to a previous robbery in August, when 88 luxury watches worth £212,000 were stolen from the same shop at gunpoint.

Estonian Oliver Konts, 20, is currently serving a seven-year jail term for the raid, which was the biggest in York since 1999, but two other men are still at large.

Det Sgt Andy Eaton, of York CID, said: "We believe that last week's raid was carried out by three or four men who had Eastern European accents.

"There are a lot of similarities with the earlier raid and we are looking at this closely again."

Among likenesses is the fact the gangs in both robberies scattered across the city centre in different directions as in a "star-burst".

The culprits also removed outer clothing after both incidents so they could change their appearance and blend in with the crowds as they fled.

A Russian-style hat with fur and ear flaps, which the man with the gun used to hide his features, was found discarded in Ogleforth, behind York Minster, after Thursday's raid, along with a long coat.

Detectives also recovered a replica handgun from the same area, hidden in a wheeled bin.

The items stolen in the current raid were 18 Patek Philippe watches and two rings, including one item worth £43,000, 19 Jaegar Lecoultre watches and 18 Zenith watches.

Hammers used to smash displays were bought from York market the day before the raid.

Det Sgt Eaton said: "The value of the items stolen means they will be difficult for the gang to get rid of, and we are investigating the possibility they were stolen to order.

"We have spoken to people in the area, and reports are all fairly consistent about three males entering the shop.

"They made a quick entry and exit, and dispersed in different directions afterwards."

Police are appealing to anyone who saw the men acting suspiciously in the Minster area before the raid or running away afterwards.

All the men are described as white and aged between 20 and 25. The man with the gun is just over 6ft tall and thick set.

The other two had hammers and were of slight build, between 5ft 6in and 5ft 10in tall.

Anyone with information should phone police on 0845 6060247.

Lightning strikes twice at jewellers

THREE robbers entered Harper's Jewellers on a busy Saturday afternoon on August 20 last year.

The gang, one of them wielding a gun and another carrying a hammer, was seen by shoppers walking into the store and loading watches from the display into a bag.

Meanwhile, Gavin Cook, who owns J18 menswear opposite, saw the manageress Jennifer Roberts go "as pale as a ghost", and called the police.

Shoppers tried to hold the doors shut to keep the robbers inside, but the gang broke through, and scattered across York.

Two men ran down Low Petergate, and the other ran towards the Minster.

Thirty-year-old Gavin chased the man towards Minster Gardens, not realising he had an imitation gun, and another man helped him tackle the

robber to the floor.

But the gunman sprang up and pulled a gun on them and escaped by scaling railings in the Minster gardens.

Meanwhile, a tourist managed to stop another of the robbers and handed him over to police.

Estonian Oliver Konts, 20, later pleaded guilty at York Crown Court to robbing

manageress Jennifer Roberts with an imitation gun, and was jailed for seven years.

But the two other robbers were never caught.

Updated: 09:50 Wednesday, January 18, 2006