A FORMER captain of Charlton Football Club was bound and threatened by a gang of masked robbers while his wife and two children were upstairs.

The gang struck at defender Mark Fish’s home in Chislehurst early on Saturday morning and stole jewellery believed to be worth £200,000.

The 31-year-old South African was jumped from behind and bound and gagged by the balaclava-clad assailants during the terrifying incident.

His wife Loui, 32, was asleep in sons’ Luke, seven, and Zeke, four, bedroom where she had been watching a DVD.

Mrs Fish said: "This guy jumped on my husband’s back and said ‘for the sake of your wife and children cooperate’. They bound his hands and put a sock in his mouth.

"We always play pranks on each other and at first he thought it was me."

Mrs Fish explained how her husband cooperated with the raiders, four men, telling them where jewellery was kept and opening the safe.

The men demanded cash but the couple had little money in the house. When the robbers left Mr Fish managed to loosen the bounds which were tying him to a leather massage chair.

He struggled upstairs to where his wife and children were sleeping. Mrs Fish, a former model, added: "How he got free I don’t know. He started shouting and screaming, saying we had just been robbed. I had just woken up. I didn’t realise what was going on."

Her sons were shaken by the robbery, she said. "My little one doesn’t realise what happened, but for my older one to look at his dad with these ties round his neck. That’s what will stay with me too. The absolute fear in my husband’s eyes."

Mrs Fish stressed: "I feel so invaded. When I walk from room to room I can still smell them. They took all my jewellery. It was all they were interested in.

"The police said they must have watched us for a while. They said they haven’t had a case like this in a long time."

The house alarm was activated when the men left. Police confirmed they were called at 12.10am on Saturday. A spokesman said: "The four men all wore gloves, balaclavas, black Nike tracksuits and black Nike trainers with white soles.

"They were described as muscular. Only one of the men spoke, and he was described as having a South London accent."

Mr Fish left Charlton FC in the early part of this season.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Det Ins Peter Sturge, of Bromley Robbery Squad, on 0208 284 9966.