A 50-year-old man has been charged in connection with the armed robbery of a Bury St Edmunds jewellers more than five years ago.

East Anglian Daily Times: A man has been charged in connection to the robbery and will appear before magistrates on Monday, January 13 Picture: PHIL MORLEYA man has been charged in connection to the robbery and will appear before magistrates on Monday, January 13 Picture: PHIL MORLEY (Image: Archant)

Two men entered Preston and Duckworth in the Cornhill at about 4.50pm on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, and threatened staff and customers with a black handgun.

They fled the scene of the heist with more than 20 high-value watches.

Robertas Piliukaitis, of North Wood, Dublin, was arrested in Belfast on Saturday, January 11, by officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland, on behalf Suffolk Constabulary.

The 50-year-old was brought back to Bury St Edmunds police investigation centre for questioning by officers from Suffolk police and was subsequently charged with robbery and threatening a person with an offensive weapon in a public place.

Piliukaitis was remanded in custody to appear at Suffolk Magistrates' Court in Ipswich on Monday afternoon, when he was further remanded in custody until a hearing at Ipswich Crown Court on February 10.

He was charged with the robbery of watches worth £185,000 from the jewellers.

He is also alleged to have unlawfully and intentionally threatened a member of staff, with a black coloured item resembling a handgun, in such a way that there was an immediate risk of serious physical harm.

Police said there were no reported injuries during the incident.

A cordon was set up throughout the evening while officers carried out an investigation.

The police helicopter was also called.

One witness at the scene said: "There were around three or four police vans parked outside.

"At least one police officer was inside dusting for fingerprints. The shutter was down on one side of the shop."

Three days later, following an operation in Kings Lynn, police revealed they had arrested three men on suspicion of conspiring to commit armed robbery.

The men, aged 23, 24 and 31 at the time, were interviewed at the town's police investigation centre before being released on bail.

Having answered bail at the beginning of May 2015, the three men were told they would not be charged in connection with the incident.