A leading Bradford jeweller told today how he confronted a knifeman because he was angry that the raider was stealing from his shop.

Jeff Frankel, chairman of the Bradford Retail Action Group, needed more than a dozen stitches to cuts above his eye after he tried to disarm the robber wielding a nine-inch-long kitchen knife.

The raider and an accomplice escaped with £16,000-worth of rings from Mr Frankel's city-centre jewellery shop.

The defiant businessman said: "He was waving the knife and I tried to get it off him. It was a case of stopping them if I could.

I just thought: 'It's my stuff, not theirs'. My big regret is that I didn't manage to get the knife off him. I don't know whether I'd do the same thing again, it depends how I felt at the time."

Mr Frankel was in his Rawson Road shop - Sydneys - on Saturday lunchtime when the two masked men burst in.

One dashed behind the counter and the other waved the large-bladed knife at Mr Frankel as he confronted him.

After grabbing a haul of rings, the raiders fled to a waiting getaway car, leaving Mr Frankel with cuts to his head, cheek and hands. He was treated at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Mr Frankel, whose group represents more than 30 businesses - mainly city-centre retailers - refused to be forced out.

"I won't be leaving the city centre," he said. "The only thing we can do is defend ourselves and our properties - the rest is up to the police. They have to stop these crimes before they happen and apprehend the criminals once they have, that's what they are paid for. Anybody who says we don't need more policemen would be silly, but who knows whether we will get them."

Detectives described the incident as a "terrifying experience" for Mr Frankel and praised his bravery. They want anyone with information to contact Bradford South CID on (01274) 376485.