Jeweller tells of gunshot escape

The second bullet hit the handset in Mr Prior's jacket pocket

A jeweller who was shot at by a robber but saved by his mobile phone when the bullet hit the handset has spoken about his attempt to chase the thief.

Darren Prior, 23, said he was not trying to be a hero in the raid at his shop in Horsham, Sussex, on Thursday.

The first bullet missed Mr Prior by inches. The second hit his phone.

"I felt the impact and realised I had been shot. I opened up my jacket to check where, and I couldn't work out why there was no blood."

The jeweller said: "The man came into the shop holding a gun.

"He insisted on taking some jewellery items out of the shop, barged past me on his way out, and that's when I gave chase down the road."

I realised there was nowhere for me to go. I was trapped. The next thing I realised, I felt the impact Darren Prior

Part of the chase was filmed on CCTV.

"As he was running, he turned the corner and fired the first shot," Mr Prior said.

"I was scared then. It was an instant reaction to try to move out of the way.

"But then I wanted to try to see where he went after that. That's when I chased him further."

He said he came face to face with the robber for the second time in a narrow alley.

"When he was facing me, I realised there was nowhere for me to go," he said.

"I was trapped.

The chase was captured on CCTV

"The next thing I realised, I felt the impact on my side."

He said he only realised the bullet had hit his phone when he took it out to dial 999.

"Usually at work I take it out because I don't want it ringing while I'm serving customers," he said.

"I must have forgotten to take it out after lunch - it's lucky that I did."

He said: "Obviously it was quite a dangerous situation and quite scary.

"The main thing was that I was trying to get as much information as possible so that I can help the police."

The attack at the Amore shop in Piries Place is being treated as attempted murder.