Terrifying footage shows robbers wielding a sledgehammer and pickaxe smash jewellery shop display cases during brazen raid in broad daylight before making off with £60,000 in gold
- Brazen gang struck at A1 Jewellers in Manchester at around 10am on Wednesday
- They made off with total of 47 rings and 16 three-piece necklace and earring sets
- Manager Mubasher Khalid, 61, is now putting up a £5,000 reward for information
This is the terrifying moment a gang armed with a sledgehammer and pickaxe raid a family jewellers before making off with £60,000 worth of gold.
CCTV footage shows four masked men smashing their way into A1 Jewellers in Cheetham Hill, Manchester at around 10am on Wednesday – as the store was being opened by employee Zeeshan Khalid.
The gang enter the store and start shattering display counters with their weapons, before filling three large shopping bags with jewellery.
CCTV footage (pictured, using a pickaxe) shows four masked men smashing their way into A1 Jewellers in Cheetham Hill, Manchester at around 10am on Wednesday
The gang made off with 47 rings and 16 three-piece necklace and earring sets during the raid (pictured in CCTV footage) – which lasted less than a minute
Outside a fifth man armed with a machete can be seen threatening a passerby who attempts to walk past the shop.
One gang member then tries to get into the back office, where the safe is located, but brave store manager Mr Khalid pushes a computer chair at him, knocking him off balance.
The gang made off with 47 rings and 16 three-piece necklace and earring sets during the raid – which lasted less than a minute. Most of the items are 22ct gold, one-off pieces.
Mr Khalid, 38, said: ‘I put the shutters up at 10am and started laying out the jewellery trays when they started bashing the door in with a sledgehammer.
‘The first thing that came into my mind was “there’s more stuff in the back”, so I managed to run in there and lock it up.
‘On my way back from the office I came face to face with with one of them so I grabbed a computer chair and pushed it at him.
‘I ran towards my workshop, but it was locked so I ran into the toilet.
‘I was in shock. I couldn’t believe what was happening.’
Mr Khalid’s father Mubasher Khalid, 61, who was run the jewellers for 25 years, said he was putting up a £5,000 reward for any information which leads to the conviction of the robbers (pictured, one of the gang members)
Outside a fifth man armed with a machete can be seen threatening a passerby who attempts to walk past the shop (pictured, the gang loading up their vehicle with jewellery)
Mr Khalid’s father Mubasher Khalid, 61, who was run the jewellers for 25 years, said he was putting up a £5,000 reward for any information which leads to the conviction of the robbers.
He also said the business was not insured for the theft. ‘I’m angry, I’m upset, I’m frustrated,’ he said. ‘We are a family-run business.
‘We’re just trying to give our customers a good, honest service, but it’s difficult to run a business when this happens.
‘We’ve lost a lot of out stock and that’s going to effect our business.
‘But we were very lucky that no-one was hurt. That’s the main thing – wealth comes and goes.’
A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: ‘At around 10.05am police received reports of a robbery on Cheetham Hill Road.
‘The report stated four men armed with hammers went into to the shop and stole a quantity of jewellery. Enquiries are ongoing.’