This is the dramatic moment a thief shot the glass door of a jewellery store to escape.

The thief, disguised with an apron from a roast chicken restaurant, entered the jewellery store in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand on December 7.

He pretended to look at the gold chains displayed on the counter before the staff handed him two necklaces.

When he had the items in his hand, he threatened the two women on the other side of the counter with a gun and wrapped the jewellery in towels.

The man rushed to leave using the front door but found that they were locked after the staff triggered the store’s security alarm.

CCTV footage shows the frantic thief pulling the door handle without success before firing a gunshot on it which shattered the glass.

He smashed through the broken glass leaving with the gold which weighed 1.06 ounces and was worth 10,000 Baht (2,700 GBP).

When the police arrived, they found a 9mm calibre bullet casing and a black hat they believe belonged to the thief.

They also interviewed witnesses who said that the thief had parked his motorbike near the store before returning to it and speeding away.

The store owner said their store had been robbed before in a similar way.

She said: “This isn’t the first time this has happened. Five years ago, a thief had also broken into our store and stole 106 ounces worth of gold necklace.

“We usually close the store around 5 p.m. but we stayed late that day which might have attracted the thief.”

Officers from Nakhon Si Thammarat provincial police are still investigating the identity of the thief and have collected CCTV footage in the area to trace his whereabouts.

Lieutenant Colonel Apichai Boonnark said: ”We will identify the suspect then find him. The cameras in the area will reveal his identity.”

source AP