A mayor and mayoress left a charity ball in disgust after a mock raid which mirrored the Moscow siege, in which 150 hostages died.

Brighton and Hove mayor David Watkins, walked out in horror after the stunt at a star-studded event in the Brighton Hilton Metropole.

The James Bond theme party, staged by the Sussex branch of the Variety Club of Great Britain, was in full swing when "gunmen" dropped from the rafters.

They fired realistic-looking weapons and ordered stars, including Pink Panther actor Burt Kwouk, to stay where they were or they would be shot.

The masked gunmen grabbed Hove-based millionaire businessman Robbie Raggio and bundled him out of the room.

Coun Watkins was about to enter the hall when the "terrorists" ran past him.

He said: "It was very realistic and frightening, especially as nobody had been expecting it.

"This was on the night that I had watched on television as the bodies of 150 hostages were brought out of a Moscow theatre.

"I felt it was in very bad taste for something like that to go ahead. I did not want to be associated with a stunt like that."

The event on Saturday was hosted by Variety Club branch chairman David Van Day.

The former Dollar singer said: "I had been busy organising the evening and had no idea so many people had died.

"The idea was to kidnap Robbie and for bids to be made for him to be released.

"Altogether the night generated £51,000, which will be spent on needy children in Sussex."