AN ARTIST had his shop targeted by burglars who filled their pockets and a rucksack with expensive watches and paperweight clocks.

Daniel Laurence - owner of Daniel Laurence Home and Garden Gallery in King’s Road Arches, Brighton - has posted CCTV footage on social media showing a man and a woman inside his gallery apparently picking items up off the shelves and pocketing them.

A security guard hired to look after the gallery interrupted the pair shortly after 3am on Thursday, causing the man to drop a rucksack full of goods before he and his accomplice fled the scene.

The 43-year-old gallery owner from Brighton said: “I received a call from our security guard in the early hours who had discovered someone in my shop putting items into a rucksack.

“When he disturbed them the man inside the shop dropped the rucksack on the ground and ran off.

“In CCTV footage from inside the shop, the man can be seen cherry-picking what he wants, accompanied by a woman.

“He also looks directly up at the camera. At first he went in with the woman who filled up her pockets with watches.

“Then he goes back in alone and loads up the rucksack with other items including paperweight clocks and cufflinks.

“They may not have got away with the rucksack but they still made off with the watches they pocketed.

“I have installed a really good security system. I have already had a lot of support from people online because of my post on social media which has been shared thousands of times.

“In a way it is quite reassuring to have CCTV of them.”

Mr Laurence said people who have come forward to speak to him about the burglary have suggested the pair might be from Bedford.

He told The Argus police officers have already visited his gallery to take fingerprint samples.

Police are now appealing for witnesses to come forward to help them trace the pair.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: “At around 3.10am on Thursday an intruder was disturbed while attempting to steal clocks and watches from the Home and Garden Gallery in Kings Road Arches, Brighton.

“The burglar and an accomplice, believed to have remained outside, left empty handed.

“The intruder was described as a white man, 5ft 8in of stocky build, with a tattoo on his neck, dark hair and facial stubble. He was wearing a beige jumper and grey tracksuit bottoms.”

Anyone with information about the incident can contact police online or you can call 101.