Armed robbers steal £1m of jewellery from Edinburgh Rox jewellers

Thieves escaped with jewellery valued at £1m after smashing glass display cabinets with an axe during an armed raid at an Edinburgh shop.

The robbery happened at about 17:15 on Tuesday at the Rox Jewellery store on George Street.

One of the men, who appeared to be carrying a hand gun, grabbed a shop assistant and forced her to open a window display.

Both men then put on helmets and made off with the jewellery on a motorbike.

The black Honda 650 motorbike was later found abandoned in Northumberland Street Lane North. One of the men's helmets was red and the other was white.

Diamond necklaces, engagements rings and luxury watches were stolen during the raid.

Two women were working in the store when the thieves struck.

During the robbery the men wore jumpers with the hoods pulled up.

The man who used the axe was wearing dark coloured top and jogging bottoms with a stripe down the sleeve and leg.

The other man was wearing a dark top and dark jogging trousers.

Witnesses said one of the men spoke with an English accent, while the other had a local accent.

The axe has since been recovered and will be sent for forensic tests.

Police are now appealing for witnesses who were near the jewellers at the time of the robbery and motorists who may have seen the motorbike driving towards the New Town at about 17:30.

Det Ch Insp Bobby Deas, of Lothian and Borders Police, said high-visibility police patrols were now in the area.

He said: "This was a terrifying ordeal for the shop staff to endure, although, thankfully, neither was injured as a result.

"An estimated £1m worth of jewellery was stolen during this incident and we are conducting various lines of enquiry to trace these items and identify those responsible for their theft.

"The motorcycle, which was used during the suspects' getaway, is believed to have made a lot of noise as it sped off and members of the public who were nearby would have heard it.

"We would now urge anyone who remembers seeing or hearing the bike, or who recognises the description of the riders to contact police immediately.

"Similarly, anyone with any other information that can assist with our enquiries is also asked to come forward."

A Rox spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that the Rox store in the Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh was targeted by armed robbers on 15 January.

"Staff are badly shaken but thankfully no-one was hurt.

"Initial estimates suggest that £1m worth of stock has been taken including diamond necklaces and engagements rings worth upwards of £100,000 each and luxury watches from brands including Hublot and Corum.

"Girard-Perregaux watches were also taken during the raid however the rare Opera 2 timepiece worth £500,000 has not been in the store since Christmas."

The store have been closed since the robbery. It will reopen on Thursday.