This article originally appeared in The Telegraph on 1 February. You can read in full here.
Thieves carried out a daytime raid on a family jewellers in south-west London.
Police are investigating the attack by robbers armed with sledgehammers who smashed the glass windows of Gregor & Co in Richmond-upon-Thames on Saturday morning, just after 10.30am. They then helped themselves to jewels on display.
The store owners tried to hit back at the robbers with a small box as shocked onlookers shouted for others to alert the police in the footage shared on the social media site TikTok.
The two men then made their escape.
The aggravated burglary was filmed and shared on social media
The family-owned business, close to Richmond Green, has been trading in the area for more than 45 years.
A spokesman for the Met said: “An investigation is under way following an aggravated burglary at a jewellers in Paved Court, Richmond.
“Officers were called at 10:34hrs on Saturday, 31 January after suspects smashed the front window of the store and stole a number of items. No injuries were reported.”
There has been a 11.6 per cent increase in theft in the area between 2024 to 2025 and residents are said to have taken the step of investing in their own private security as a result.
This article originally appeared in The Telegraph on 1 February. You can read in full here.
