Armed robbers threatened to pull out the fingernails of a pensioner with pliers to force him to unlock his safe.

The masked attackers coshed retired Army major Tom Williams over the head and promised to torture him unless he gave up hundreds of thousands of pounds of antiques.

They bound and tied Mr Williams, who tried to fight off the robbers, and his wife, Sarah, 68, during a six-hour ordeal at their home, Aldsworth House, near Chichester.

But Hove Crown Court was told the brave pensioner managed to break free from his bindings and smash his way out of a locked room to call the police for help.

A collection of medals, swords, guns, silver and porcelain was among the haul taken from the couple's country home.

The stolen items were among antiques later recovered along with property from a string of burglaries across Sussex and the Home Counties.

Mr Williams, 73, told the court he and his wife Sarah were watching television in the living room at their home on the evening of June 4 2006 after spending the hot summer's day gardening.

The security alarm had been triggered by movement outside their house a couple of times but when they checked they saw nothing suspicious and believed their dogs were to blame.

The alarm was activated once again at about 9.45pm and when Mrs Williams went to investigate she was confronted by three men wearing balaclavas, with slits cut in the mouth and eyes, who burst into the room.

Mrs Williams was grabbed, her engagement ring pulled off and her wrists were bound with tape.

She was bundled on to a sofa and a jacket was put over her face.

Mr Williams, who had been dozing in an armchair, told the jury how he tried to fight off the raiders.

He said: "Two grabbed my wife and one came for me. I rose from the chair and I grappled with him. I was trying to get his balaclava off."

But the elderly man was overcome when he was hit at least twice with a wooden truncheon. When he fell to the floor he received a couple of sharp kicks from his attacker.

He was tied to the armchair, his arms were bound across his chest and his ankles were also tied.

A bag was put over his head, which made it difficult for him to breath because it was hot and airless.

He told the court: "They said they wanted jewellery and money and they would go. The leader was distinctly very threatening."

Mr Williams said one of the robbers told him he lived in a council house and didn't have any money. He said: "I think they felt this justified their actions."

Two of the raiders began ransacking the couple's home as they searched for valuables, while the third robber stood guard over the pensioners.

Mr Williams told how the raiders repeatedly demanded he tell them where the keys were to the safe which they had found hidden in the kitchen.

He said: "I said we don't have the keys. They didn't believe me.

"The leader said he wanted the keys and if I didn't give them he would do my fingers with pliers. I have no doubt he would have done so."

At this point his wife immediately told the robbers how to open the safe.

After piling property into the couple's estate car, two of the men drove off and Mr Williams started talking to the raider left behind to guard them.

Mr Williams said the guard showed some compassion when he lifted the bag covering the pensioner's head which enabled him to get a short breath of fresh air.

But after an hour, the jury was told, the two other robbers returned and showed they were aware of leaving behind forensic evidence.

Mr Williams told how the raiders feared he had put his hand in one of the robber's mouths during the initially struggle and they scrapped under his fingernails with a penknife.

He said: "The leader reappeared and was obviously concerned I had put my fingers in the mouth of the chap who assaulted me.

"He opened up the tape on my arms and pulled fingers out and proceeded to wash them with some sort of cleaning liquid and very roughly clean under the nails with some sort of penknife."

The couple were locked in another room, tied to chairs. The raiders bought a drink into the room but left it out of reach and smashed the light switch.

The gang asked if the couple wanted them to contact anyone in about an hour's time.

But 15 minutes after all three of the raiders left, Mr Williams started to work himself free from his bindings.

He smashed his way out of the room and rang the police at about 3.30am.

Mr Williams told the court the couple lost property worth about £380,000. While the police had recovered items worth £77,000, none had been returned to them.

He said since the raid a six foot high wire link fence had been erected around their home.

The prosecution says the raid was staged by Wolfgang Schmeltz, 57, Christopher Doughty, 48, and William Johnson, 47.

Antique dealers Daniel Brummer, 56, and Christopher Capewell, 63, are accused of having received stolen property.

The charges relate to antiques stolen from homes at Firle, near Lewes, Slinfold, near Horsham, Petworth and Bexhill. Property has also been found from burglaries in Surrey, Kent and Essex.

Schmeltz, Doughty and Johnson, all from Southampton, deny robbery. Schmeltz and Doughty have admitted one charge of conspiracy to handle stolen goods.

Capewell, of Grand Avenue, Hove, and Brummer, of Furze Hill, Hove, deny conspiracy to handle stolen goods.

The trial continues.