POLICE have recovered an abandoned getaway car used in an armed robbery on a jewellers shop.

Detectives were yesterday carrying out a detailed search of a beige Toyota Corina, which was found abandoned near Grange Road, in Darlington, soon after the raid on December 12.

The K-registered getaway car, which had recently been stolen in the town, was identified after police found the windscreen had been smashed.

Police are still hunting for the gang of four, one of which was the getaway driver, and have described the raid as "well planned and very professional".

The robbers burst into D&H Jewellers, in Houndgate, Darlington, and threatened staff and customers with sawn-off shotguns and a pistol, before making off with thousands of pounds worth of jewellery.

Three of the gang smashed display cabinets and leapt over the shop counter, grabbed hundreds of items of jewellery before speeding away in a waiting car.

After the raid, police spoke publicly of their admiration for two members of staff who wrestled one of the robbers to the ground.

The raider eventually broke free when one of his accomplices pointed a gun at a member of staff.

As the gang sped away, a security guard from a nearby shop hurled a piece of furniture at the getaway car and smashed its windscreen, but the raiders escaped.

Detective Inspector Ian Phillips, of Darlington CID, said: "This was a particularly vicious raid, which has left staff and customers who witnessed it very shaken up, in fact, some of them are receiving counselling.

"We would urge anyone who saw a beige Toyota Corina in Darlington town centre between 4.15pm and 4.30pm, on December 12, to contact us immediately, because their information could be vital in helping us to catch the gang.

"We are currently going over the car with a fine-toothed comb, but anyone who may have seen the incident, or saw the raiders, could be holding important information."

Det Insp Phillips is also trying to contact a woman with two children, who was seen entering the back door of Boyes at the time of the raid.

Darlington police are asking anyone with information to call them on (01325) 467681