Times Online Reports
An armed gang who took a woman hostage as they stole £40 million worth of rings, necklaces and bracelets from an exclusive store are thought to have escaped with Britain’s biggest ever haul of jewellery.
Two smartly dressed men arrived by black taxi at Graff's jewellers in Bond Street, Central London last week and were buzzed through the airlock into the store, which caters for stars including Mike Tyson, the Beckhams and Naomi Campbell.
Once inside they both produced handguns and forced the staff onto the floor, apart from one woman who was told to open a display cabinet.
Within a matter of minutes they had grabbed 43 items and thrown them into a holdall before briefly taking the female worker hostage as they left the building.
Police believe this was to make sure they were not locked between the two security doors.
As they left they fired a warning shot into the ground before escaping in a blue BMW which was later abandoned nearby after crashing into a taxi.
A second shot was then fired into the ground as members of the public began to give chase to the gang who clambered into a silver Mercedes.
The men then got into a black car, described as a Ford Galaxy or VW Sharan.
The same store lost jewellery worth £23 million in a robbery in 2003 when two Serbians armed with a wig, a revolver and a scooter held up staff.
In 2007, jewellery worth several million pounds was stolen from a branch of Graff's Diamonds in London’s Sloane Street by two men posing as customers.
Detectives from the Flying Squad believe they are looking for at least five men, including a motorbike rider who was given a package by the two men when they were in the BMW.
Detective Chief Inspector Pam Mace from the Flying Squad said: "This was a well planned robbery with a number of vehicles used to help the robbers escape. These men are extremely dangerous and fired at least two shots in busy London streets as they made their getaway.
"As far as the UK is concerned we do not know of a bigger raid.
“Someone knows who these men are, they would undoubtedly have spoken about it beforehand or boasted about it afterwards. I would urge anyone who recognises them, knows the whereabouts of the jewellery or has any other information to contact us."
The first suspect is described as white, approximately 30 years old, with a slim build, dark hair with a well-combed side parting, light stubble on his face and is 5 ft 10 - 6 ft tall. He was wearing a grey suit, white shirt and tie.
His accomplice is black, described as being in his 30s, 6 ft tall, more well built than the first suspect, with very short Afro hair. He was also wearing a grey suit, white shirt and tie.
It is believed both men spoke with London accents
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