Four held after smash and grab raid at the Dorchester Hotel

 
Hoardings up as damage is repaired at the Dorchester Hotel
Anna Dubuis11 July 2014
WEST END FINAL

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Four people were being questioned today following a smash and grab raid on the Dorchester hotel believed to be linked to an identical robbery last month.

Police arrested three men and a woman yesterday at 2.30pm at an address in the King’s Cross area, 12 hours after six men on three mopeds targeted the luxury hotel in Park Lane.

After breaking through the front doors on the bikes, three of the men used sledgehammers to smash open display cabinets and made off with a stash of watches and jewellery believed to be worth tens of thousands of pounds.

Following yesterday’s arrests all four were taken to a central London police station where they remain in custody.

Police said today they had recovered the vast majority of watches and jewellery stolen.

The haul of stolen items was found by Flying Squad officers in a raid on a flat in King’s Cross just 12 hours after the robbery.

Police also seized three mopeds suspected of being used in the raid.

One 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to rob and conspiracy to handle stolen goods.

A man in his 50s, another man in his 20s and a woman believed to be in her 50s were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to handle stolen goods.

Officers are trying to establish whether the raid was connected to another on June 10 when up to £250,000 worth of gems were stolen.

Again, robbers broke in on motorcycles, at roughly the same time of night and when few staff were on duty.

No arrests have been made yet in last month’s robbery.

A private chauffeur working for guests at the hotel said it was an “easy target” after its second raid in a month.

"I was sitting out here after midnight and saw six men on sports bikes going up and down Park Lane. You know in this job what trouble looks like and I knew it was trouble. That kind of thing looks well-planned.

"I left at 1.30am and [not long after] they pulled up and smashed the doors to get through. It’s an easy target now, it’s going downhill and getting a reputation.”

A spokesperson from the Dorchester said: “We are assisting the authorities with their inquiries. The hotel security team were quick to respond and no-one was hurt. The comfort and security of our guests and staff is our top priority.”

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