Thieves strike at Ernest Jones in Richmond
5:11pm Tuesday 17th November 2009 in News By Suraya Saleh
Attempted burglary: Thieves struck at Ernest Jones in Richmond, pictured here after a previous raid
Police were today hunting a group of men who tried to raid a Richmond jewellers.
Police said three men in black hoodies went into Ernest Jones in George Street, Richmond, at about 1.40pm on Monday, after standing outside staring at the window display.
One of the men climbed a partition to try to reach the front window, but had to climb back over again after discovering the cabinet was locked. The three men fled, along with a fourth man in white top who went into the store during the attempted burglary.
They turned left out of the store and headed towards Richmond station, before taking the next left down Brewers Lane.
Police have recovered a Silver Volvo, which was abandoned nearby, and it is undergoing forensic examination.
The incident is the second foiled burglary at the jewellers in little more than a year.
Last October, two sledgehammer-wielding robbers were forced to leave empty-handed after being tackled by 84-year-old have-a-go-hero William Grove as they tried to smash their way into the store. The teenage robbers were later jailed.
The first three suspects in the latest attempted burglary were black men, aged between 20 and 25, between 5ft 7in and 5ft 10in tall. They wore black hooded jackets and black trousers.
The fourth suspect was a lighter skinned black man, aged 20 to 28 years old and about 6ft 1in. He wore a white longsleeved top, jeans and a white beanie.
Anyone with any information should contact PC Antony Dunne at Twickenham police station on 020 8247 3032 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
