The racehorse owner Stan Clarke was handcuffed to his wife and injured during a raid on his luxury home. Multi-millionaire Clarke, owner of this year's Grand National winner Lord Gyllene, was attacked by a gang of masked men brandishing a baseball bat, screwdriver and a knife.

The raiders then searched the house and stole £500 in cash and jewellery.

Clarke, the owner of Newcastle and Uttoxeter racecourses, managed to struggle to the phone with his wife and raise the alarm after the raid at his home in Burtonunder-Needwood, Staffordshire, at about 9.30 on Wednesday night.

Police are not ruling out links with a series of other raids on luxury homes carried out by the so-called Quality Street Gang.

Among victims thought to have been the target of the notorious gang are football manager Ron Atkinson and Billy Bell, chairman of Port Vale football club.