POLICE were today hunting four armed raiders who burst into a country house and subjected a married couple to a violent reign of terror.

Lois Banks was tied up and blindfolded while her husband, John, was struck on the head by a gun during the robbery at their home in Whalley Old Road, Billington, last night.

The couple were watching television in the lounge of their large detached house when the masked raiders, who had broken in through the kitchen, confronted them at 7.55pm. Mrs Banks, 53, was tied up in the lounge while the robbers, who were believed to be armed with two guns, a hammer and knives, forced her 55-year-old husband, upstairs at gunpoint to open a safe.

Police said the robbers struck the retired businessman, on the forehead with a gun and assaulted him after he denied there was a safe in the house. Mr Banks was formerly a partner in B M Furniture, of Brookside Street, Oswaldtwistle.

He managed to free his wife and raise the alarm 10 minutes after the robbers fled with a small amount of cash and jewellery from a bedroom. The couple were taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary where Mr Banks was treated for a head and arm injury and his wife for shock. They were later discharged.

Detective Inspector Terry Richardson, of Blackburn CID, said: "The action of these men was callous and cruel in the way they dealt with the aggrieved. A lot of the violence was unwarranted. It is likely there was a vehicle involved because of the location of the house on a country road. I would appeal for anybody who saw a vehicle between 7.30pm and 8pm to contact us."

Two of the raiders were described as having Scottish accents.

Anybody with information should contact Blackburn CID on 01254 51212.

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