A MAN who pointed a gun at two North-East supermarket security guards was on the run last night.

Police believe the man, who was part of a gang of five, may have been involved in an armed car-jacking in West Yorkshire only hours before.

The gun threat took place after the guards chased and caught another man they saw stealing four cans of lager from the Morrisons store, in North Road, Darlington, on Thursday. A stolen Ford Fiesta with two men and two women inside then pulled up, and one of them demanded they let him go.

Acting Detective Sergeant Sharon Spooner said: "One of the men got out of the car and pointed what is thought to be a handgun at the guards."

He jumped in the car and they made off, but the driver managed to get only a few yards before crashing into brickwork at the base of the railway bridge, in Hopetown Lane. The gang then fled.

The getaway car -a Ford Fiesta Zetec, registration YC04 KHB, was stolen at gunpoint earlier in the day from a car park in Wakefield.

The armed car-jack happened at 1.30pm on Thursday, and police believe the trio were next seen at 5pm in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, when they filled up at a petrol station and drove off without paying.

Acting Det Sgt Spooner said the security staff followed a man out of the supermarket at 8.30pm, and chased him across the car park towards Hopetown Lane.

She said: "The guards were holding the suspect when a Ford Fiesta, containing two women and two men, pulled up. The men asked the guards to release the other man and, at first, they refused."

One of the men jumped from the car, pulled out the handgun and pointed it at the guards.

After crashing the Fiesta, the driver was unable to re-start it, so the five ran off.

Within seconds, five police cars were searching the area, and the force's helicopter was scrambled.

Anyone with information is asked to call police.