A GANG of masked robbers was chased out of Peebles in the early hours of the morning by the organisers of a major cycling race.

But the three balaclava-clad crooks, who were armed with sledgehammers, are still at large.

The dawn raiders smashed their way into a sweet shop in the town’s Eastgate just before 5am.

But they were rumbled by organisers and volunteers from Tour O the Borders.

Neil Dalgleish, the main organiser of Tour O The Borders, became embroiled in the incident as he was finishing preparations for the cycling event due to start two hours later.

He said: “We were checking the barriers when one of the guys doing the contraflow for the traffic started running and then they told us someone was trying to ramraid a shop.

“There was a car on the pavement in front of the sweet shop and I drove my car over to block them in.

“One guy in a black balaclava tried to get into the car but ended up hanging on the bonnet - it was like a scene from a film.” The thugs, who have been linked to similar incidents in Midlothian and Edinburgh during the same night, escaped from Peebles in their stolen BMW after a short car chase by driving on pavements.

But just a minute or two later the gang returned brandishing a sledgehammer at the cycling organisers.

Police are still hunting for the men and have made an appeal for more witnesses to come forward.

Mr Dalgleish added: “They managed to get away by going along the pavement and passed the Eastgate. I tried again to block them in on the other side of the road by the post office but they again used the pavement to make their escape.

“Several of us chased them briefly into Northgate with some of us throwing cones at them to try to stop them.

“They sped away but when they got past Sainsbury’s suddenly they reversed the car back fast as far as the Central Bar.

“One of them got out and started waving a sledgehammer at us before they were away again. I think they must have been annoyed that we had tried to stop them - they must have been lunatics.

“It’s odd that they didn’t look along the High Street when they arrived as they would have seen 15 to 20 guys working along there.

“It’s ironic that we had a lot of security at Tweed Green and the guards there said they could not believe how quiet the night had been.” The thieves made off with a till, carrying a minimal float, from The Sweetshop.

Shopkeeper Jim Borthwick said: “It is strange that they came here when they could have got liquor worth much more from Villeneuve Wines just a few yards away.

“We’ve never had a break-in in the 23 years I’ve been here - maybe they just thought it would be easier to get in here.

“But there’s nothing of great value here just sweets - no alcohol or cigarettes. It’s all a bit surreal and they certainly can’t have done their homework.” The intruders damaged the front door of the premises and smashed the counter to get at the till.

“There was some float money in the till and that’s all they’ve taken,” said Mr Borthwick.

“They did go into the back shop but they wouldn’t have found much there apart from a coinbox. It only had 1p and 2p pieces in it and it looks as if they thought it wasn’t worth carrying it as I found it in the front of the shop.

“With a new till and all the repairs that are needed it’s going to cost me several hundred pounds.

“I’m told there were three of them in the gang and they were all wearing balaclavas and spoke with East European accents.” Police officers are still trying to track down the gang.

A spokeswoman said: “We are appealing for more witnesses to come forward. There were three men involved wearing dark clothing and dark balaclavas and they were in a grey BMW.

“The raid was witnessed by some cyclists and the men forced entry to the shop using a sledgehammer.

“It is believed this incident is linked to others in Loanhead and Edinburgh on the same night.” .