POLICE have released further details about a robbery at a jewellery store in which raiders thought to be armed with a sledgehammer and an axe made off with "a quantity of stock".

Laurence Cawley

POLICE have released further details about a robbery at a jewellery store in which raiders thought to be armed with a sledgehammer and an axe made off with “a quantity of stock”.

Police were called to Thurlow Champness jewellers in Abbeygate Street at 10.40am yesterday after two men of Middle Eastern appearance went into the shop, smashed the display cabinets and stole a number of items.

A sledgehammer and a long-handled axe have been recovered.

The raiders, who wore white all-in-one suits and black balaclavas, left the scene in a grey VW Golf along Hatter Street driven by a third men.

This vehicle was later found in a car park in Whiting Street.

It is believed the three males then got into a white medium-sized hatchback car on College Lane, driven by a fourth male. A silver BMW was also recovered on Abbeygate Street.

Det Sgt Stuart Sowerby said: “This type of offence is very rare in Bury St Edmunds, and dozens of officers responded to the robbery very quickly to comfort traumatised staff and search the area and routes out of the town, assisted by the force helicopter.

“A number of those officers will be in the town centre for the next few days, carrying out enquiries and providing reassurance. We will be viewing CCTV from the town centre and speaking to witnesses.

“We want to hear from anyone who may have seen people or vehicles acting suspiciously over the past week around the jewellers on Abbeygate Street, or along the route the offenders took away from the scene along Hatter Street, Churchgate Street, Whiting Street and College Lane. We also want to hear from anyone who may have found anything the offenders may have left behind along this route or on their way out of Bury.

“Whilst the BMW and Golf have been recovered, the third white car has not, so I would appeal for anyone who may have seen this car in Bury St Edmunds yesterday, or has noticed a white car appear on their street which is unfamiliar, to come forward.”

Anyone with any information should contact Bury CID on 01473 613500 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.