A SOCIAL club boss told of his shock yesterday in the wake of a terrifying armed robbery.

Police are continuing their investigations into the raid at the Darlington and Simpson Rolling Mills Club, in Longfield Road in the town.

A gang of masked men, one carrying a shotgun, burst into the club just after midnight last Thursday and demanded cash.

Yesterday, it emerged that the assistant manager, a member of the bar staff and a customer were tied up and locked in a room as the raiders made their escape.

About six men, all wearing balaclavas, emptied the club's safe and stole about £7,000.

Club manager Tom Brown said the 20-minute raid had been terrifying for everyone involved.

Mr Brown, who was not working at the time, received a late-night call informing him that the premises had been robbed.

"It was just traumatic - they were tied up and made to lie on their stomachs. They were locked up in the committee room," he said.

As well as one man wielding a shotgun, other robbers were said to have been carrying a variety of weapons.

The shotgun is believed to have been pointed at the head of the club's assistant manager and the male customer.

"Everyone round here has been quite shocked by it. It doesn't seem like a a great deal of money for the risk involved," said Mr Brown.

"There were no strangers in on that night. They must have just seen it and taken the opportunity."

Nobody was seriously injured in the incident, which occurred at about 12.15am, just as the club was being locked up.

A police spokeswoman said: "We have done some forensics tests and the investigation is ongoing."

Police forensics experts were at the scene for about six hours on the night of the raid, checking for clues which could lead detectives to the gang.

The clothes of those caught up in the incident were also taken for examination.

* The sports and social club is a survivor of the 1998 announcement of the closure of DSRM, which was part of the British Steel empire.