An Oxfordshire shopowner claims he is lucky to be alive after being held up and robbed by gun-toting bandits while on holiday in South America.

Owner of county-based Clovers discount stores, John Hudson, of Morton Avenue, Kidlington, is furious that the incident happened and is calling for measures to ensure it never happens again.

He said: "People are warned about petty crime but nothing is said about bandits. I want to make sure future trips like ours have armed guards on the coaches."

Mr Hudson, 40, and his partner Fiona Turner, 28, are in Brazil with a group of 30 other tourists as part of a two-week horse racing holiday in South America, which started in Argentina on Thursday, January 12.

When they got on their coach in Rio de Janeiro a few days ago, it was stopped by bandits in the middle of an 80ft high viaduct.

One robber fired a shot into the coach door and the passengers were held at gunpoint.

The thieves forced the driver to follow their getaway car to a lay-by five miles away before robbing the tourists, who were made to hand over more than £100,000 in cash, credit cards, cameras and jewellery.

Speaking exclusively to the Oxford Mail yesterday, from his room at the Copacabana Beach Hotel in Rio, after a day at the races, Mr Hudson said: "It was a traumatic experience. The gunmen were very slick and got everything they needed, including our passports.

"After the event many of our party had to have hospital treatment for shock. Everyone knows Rio is rife with petty crime but we knew nothing of this sort of attack. We're very lucky to be alive.

"We didn't put up a struggle, but in the future someone might and that would certainly mean bloodshed.

"Officials here were playing the incident down, so I and a former policeman, Derek Mallam, from Nantwich, went public. Then things started moving and since the incident we've had armed guards on our coaches."

Mr Hudson said he was certain the party was targeted because the bandits knew there would be a lot of money around.

He said: "I'm certain it was not just an opportunist hold-up."

He had a camera and video camera, US dollars and some duty free goods stolen, but was lucky to be left with his medication for diabetes and high blood pressure.

Mr Hudson, who expects to be back in Oxford on Thursday, took over Clovers discount stores in Grove Street, Wantage, and Windmill Road, Headington, seven years ago.

Staff at the shops said they were shocked by the incident, and that Mr Hudson had contacted them to say everything was all right.

Neighbours in Morton Avenue said Mr Hudson was well known and liked.

Jennifer Higgins said: "It was a great shock when we found out about the incident. He's lucky to be alive. We meet socially and he's a nice chap. It must have been terrifying."

Mr Hudson and his former partner Sandy Harkness have three children, Harry, who is at a county school, Jamie, who is at pre-school, and baby Kimberley.

His trip was organised by Haywards Heath-based Horse Racing Abroad and managing director Ian Fry said the incident was the first in his 30 year experience of organising the trips.

He said: "I can't begin to imagine how terrifying it was for them."