Yesterday (Thursday) afternoon armed raiders stole up to £150,000 of diamonds and precious stone set jewellery from W E Clark and Son in Lewes High Street.

The gang had to flee the scene on foot after a quick-thinking member of the public grabbed the keys from their getaway car.

The four men, all armed with hammers, were chased down Cliffe High Street and South Street by members of the public where they jumped into another car parked at the entrance of the Cuilfail Tunnel.

John Clark, a director of the family-run business W E Clark and Son, told the Express: 'I think they had planned to drive to the Cuilfail Tunnel, dump the first car and jump into this other car to throw the police off the scent.

'A police car was coming in the other direction and turned around and followed them.

'They got as far as the Boship Roundabout (Hailsham) when they went the wrong way down a dual carriageway, then they were rammed off the road by a police armed response unit.'

Three men are currently in police custody and police are still looking for a fouth man.