GUN wielding robbers threatened to shoot staff at an Indian takeaway during an early morning raid in Pewsey on Saturday.

Manager of the Shanty tandoori Saleh Ahmed Chowdry, 49, and worker Samsu Miah, 45, said they were attacked by three men, tied up, assaulted and robbed of thousands of pounds in cash as well as credit cards and personal property.

The men said they begged with the robbers not to shoot. They said the robbery took place on Saturday morning as the two men slept after a busy Friday night's trade.

Mr Chowdry said: "We went to bed at about 1.30am. Friday night is very busy and we were very tired.

"At about 4am we were shaken awake from a deep sleep. The men were wearing masks and two of them were carrying guns which they threatened us with. The third man had a knife which had been taken from the kitchen. I recognised it.

"They said 'if you don't give us the money we will shoot you'. We begged them not to kill us and I showed them where the money was. They took £1,300 money from the business and £4,600 I was saving to buy a car."

The two victims had their hands secured behind their backs with handcuffs and their legs bound with towels. They were then thrown back on their beds while the robbers ransacked the premises.

As well as the cash, the raiders stole two watches from Mr Chowdry, one made by Gucci and valued at £795 and the other a cheaper Citizen watch. They also took credit cards and a bag containing Mr Chowdry's diary, passport and other important papers, as well as his cream-coloured jacket.

Mr Chowdry, who came to Britain from Bangladesh six years ago, is afraid the raiders might return.

But there is another anxiety preying on his mind since the robbery. Among the items taken by the robbers were the keys to his house in Birmingham, where his wife and four children, aged 16, 14, 12 and three, live.

Though Mr Chowdry lives on the first floor flat above the shop, he manages to return to Birmingham once a fortnight.

Mr Chowdry said: "I am frightened, not just for myself, but for my family. The robbers have my home address in Birmingham and my house keys. I am terrified they might attack my family."

Mr Chowdry showed the Gazette where he and Mr Miah were tied up. During the struggle, Mr Chowdry received injuries to his hands and bled profusely over the bed, where he had been thrown once he was trussed up.

The lock of a cabinet where valuables had been kept had also been forced.

Mr Chowdry said that he and Mr Miah were tied up for at least one-and-a-half hours, though he lost consciousness during that period. He added that the robbers untied them before leaving the premises.

The raid at the Shanty tandoori came just a few days after a burglary at the Bombay Spice, a similar takeaway outlet, in Wroughton. Mr Chowdry suspects the same people were involved.

Salisbury CID is now investigating the alleged robbery but there was a development this week when they arrested Mr Miah and interviewed him about the raid. He was later released on police bail.

Pewsey Parish Council chairman, Colin Lampard, said: "It sounds a very nasty incident but we know very little about it because it was handled by police from Salisbury.

"That is the most worrying aspect of this. Salisbury police had to deal with it because there were no police officers in the village."