Armed robbers strike luxury watch shop in London

LONDON: A gang of armed robbers targeted a luxury watch shop in London in a brazen, broad daylight attack on Tuesday.Reality TV star Spencer Matthews was forced to hide in the vault of the shop as the armed robbers smashed their way into the store. The 30-year-old was in The Hour House, in Duke Street in London’s West End as the gang took sledgehammers to shop cabinets.Eyewitnesses said around six masked men on four mopeds targeted the shop, with one brandishing a machete at members of the public outside. The thieves rammed the front door with a scooter, before smashing at an inner door with sledgehammers.Thames Valley fire service engineer Paul Starck was left with glass in his eye after the knifeman tried to smash his car window to stop him calling the police.In a post on Instagram Matthews said: “I just had to hide in a safe. “More like a vault downstairs while this watch shop The Hour House on Duke Street got smashed to pieces by armed robbers.” He posted pictures on the social media site of the glass-strewn shop and smashed cabinets.The socialite said: “These guys drive a scooter through the glass and start battering the shop with hammers, big huge hammers, wearing helmets. We’re in the back of the shop looking at them, sprint downstairs, hide in the vault until all the noise passes. Come upstairs and the place is just battered. Like I mean Gonzo. All the watches gone.”He and his friends began looking for the “vintage piece” that Matthews had been hoping to collect.The Metropolitan Police Twitter account for Westminster @MPSWestminster said that officers were called at around 10.32am on Tuesday. A series of tweets read: “A number of males armed with weapons are reported to have driven to the premises on mopeds and smashed a window before stealing goods and fleeing.“Officers attended, including specialist firearms colleagues. A man aged in his 30s has been treated by LAS for an eye injury sustained after the shop window was smashed. At this stage there have been no arrests. Inquiries continue. Anyone who has information that could assist police is asked to call 101 ref CAD 2222/28 May.”—PA/News Desk

from The News International - Top Story http://bit.ly/30LFyHT