ROBBERS armed with a gun and an axe attacked a man before bursting into his home and stealing rare jewellery worth £5,000.

The victim's ordeal began when he answered a knock at the door of his house on Lime Close, Penwortham, near Preston, to be faced by two armed raiders, a man and a woman.

He struggled with them, but they overpowered him and forced their way into his house and stole a selection of Asian gold.

Detectives hunting the pair said the incident - at 9.30pm on Saturday - had left the man and his family in shock.

DC Sharon Owen of Penwortham CID said: "The man sustained slight injuries, but the entire family are upset to say the least. They're very shaken.

"Asian jewellery is very rare because it's far superior quality to Western jewellery. It's virtually pure gold.

"We're continuing our inquiries but we need to hear from anyone who saw or knows anything about this violent crime."

One of the attackers was described as Afro-Caribbean, aged between 25 and 30, 6ft tall, slim, with a moustache and beard. He wore a black hat, red coat and jeans.

His accomplice was a white woman, also aged 25 to 30, 5ft 4ins tall, with blonde collar-length hair. She wore a red coat and dark leggings. Both had accents said to be from out of the area.

Anyone with information should call Penwortham CID on (01772) 433561.

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