Police release image in hunt for man after £400,000 Regent Street smash-and-grab

Police have released a picture of a man wanted in connection with a robbery
Met Police
Katy Clifton24 June 2019
WEST END FINAL

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Police investigating a Regent Street smash-and-grab in which more than £400,000 of watches were stolen have released a picture of a man wanted in connection with robbery.

On June 5 last year, police scrambled to reports of a smash-and-grab robbery at the Watches of Switzerland store involving six men on three mopeds and a motorbike.

The men, wearing black crash helmets, had driven up to the storefront at around 10.20am before one man drove through the door to stop them from being closed by staff.

Three men entered and attacked display cases holding Rolex watches with sledgehammers. Five display cabinets were targeted and 30 Rolex watches were stolen, worth £440,000.

While the store was being robbed, another three men armed with knives waited outside, including one on a high-powered motorbike, to ward off security staff and members of the public.

The robbers fled with the watches after the security smoke alarm was activated. However, a passing police unit saw what was happening and chased after the robbers.

One man was seen abandoning various items including a pair of gloves, a crash helmet and a bag full of 11 Rolex watches as he fled. He was then arrested on Heddon Street.

Police later recovered six Rolex watches from an address in Islington, near to where a moped had been abandoned.

Officers have now recovered 17 of the watches stolen, worth more than £300,000 – but police say the damage to the store is estimated to have cost around £100,000.

Launching a further appeal for information on Monday, Scotland Yard has released a picture of a man wanted in connection with the smash-and-grab robbery.

Detective Sergeant Gary Taylor from the Met’s Central Specialist Crime team, said: “Although one man has already been sentenced to eight-years for this violent robbery, we are still actively pursuing the other suspects involved.

“I have no doubt that someone will definitely recognise the person in the picture we have released and we need to hear from anyone with information that can help us bring this violent robber to justice.”

Anyone with any information that can help identify the suspect is asked to call police via 101 and quote CAD 2179/05JUN18 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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