Police hunt armed jewellery robbers

Jan 16 2013

Police are seeking witnesses to the robbery of a city jewellery shop by two men with an axe and a gun.

The men wearing hooded tops walked into the ROX jewellery store on George Street in Edinburgh at 5.15pm on Tuesday. One man had an axe while the other was carrying what looked like a gun.

They began the heist by using the axe to smash the glass display cases before a shop assistant was grabbed and forced to open a window display. The pair left with a haul of jewellery and made their getaway wearing red and white helmets on a motorbike which was later found abandoned less than a mile away in Northumberland Street Lane North.

The axe has also been found and sent for forensic analysis.

Both men were wearing dark tops and jogging bottoms. The man with the axe had a stripe on the sleeve and leg of his clothing. One had a local accent and the other was said to be English.

Detective Inspector Stuart Harkness from Lothian and Borders Police said: "Thankfully no one was seriously injured during this incident, however it was a distressing experience for those who were in the shop at the time.

"It happened on one of the busiest streets in Edinburgh and we know it would have been witnessed by a large number of people. I am directly appealing to anyone who saw the disturbance at the jewellers or who saw the motorcycle driving through the city to get in touch immediately. Tracing these suspects is our main priority and we have got a large number of resources exploring a number of lines of inquiry."

Officers would like to speak to anyone who was in the vicinity of the jewellery shop at the time of the incident and who may have seen the suspects.

They also want motorists who may have seen the motorbike driving towards the New Town at around 5.30pm to come forward.

The ROX store opened in October last year in the A-listed Assembly Rooms which were renovated for £9.3 million and re-opened in July 2012.