AN antiques dealer was bound and gagged by armed raiders who threatened to knife him in his shop.

One robber was forced to re-tie Peter Ridler after he spotted the brave dealer trying to free himself.

After the two men fled Hansen Chard Antiques with a haul of clocks yesterday, the 59-year-old sawed through his bonds with broken glass before raising the alarm.

Mr Ridler, who revealed he had been threatened by men with guns when he worked in Latin America, said afterwards that he was "not going to die or be badly damaged" for the sake of the antiques in his Pershore shop.

"A guy ran in and stuck a knife in my tummy and said 'we're taking some clocks, don't do anything'," he said.

"I think they knew it was a good place to rob.

"They taped my arms, legs and face and carried me upstairs and dumped me on the floor in a back room, which is used as a storeroom, where one of them looked over me."

Mr Ridler said he was re-taped by the man, who sweated with nerves, after he quietly tried to work his bonds free during the 10-minute ordeal, which started at 10.30am.

After the men made their escape, he hopped across the room and found the broken glass, which he used to cut through the fabric tape.

"I didn't feel they were going to knife me. They just wanted to steal some stuff and get out," said Mr Ridler, who has traded for 17 years and specialises in clocks at the High Street shop.

"I'm angry and very sad in some ways. But I can now take some better protection of the shop and myself."

One of the robbers was described as white, around 5ft 8in tall, and was wearing a light-coloured, hooded top and a stocking mask.

The other was white, around 6ft, well-built and wearing a blue balaclava. Both were in their late teens or early 20s.

"Although unharmed, the man was left shocked by this terrifying ordeal," said investigating officer Det Sgt Pete Andrews.

"I'd appeal to anyone with information, particularly anyone who witnessed items being placed in a vehicle outside the shop, to contact Evesham CID on 01905 723888 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.