THIS is the shocking moment hammer-wielding thugs break into a London jewellery store in front of terrified onlookers.
The thieves looted the window display of a family-run jewellers in Richmond, west London in broad daylight on Saturday morning.
In appalling footage circulating on X, two men dressed in black can be seen taking a large hammer to the shop window of Gregory & Co.
Unable to smash through, one of the men can be seen trying to rip the glass back.
They then start plundering the valuables on display and shoving them into a blue carrier bag.
Members of staff can also be seen inside the shop trying desperately to take the valuables off the display to stop them being stolen.
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One staff member can even be seen hitting the men with a box in an effort to deter them.
The two men then fled and are seen running down the street as stunned bystanders watch on.
An employee of a nearby store who witnessed the shocking scenes spoke to the Daily Mail about the incident.
They said: “The two guys appeared out of nowhere carrying a large sledgehammer and a bag. They then started smashing the jewellers window up.”
The Sun has reached out to the Metropolitan Police and Gregory & Co. for comment.
It’s not the only instance of robberies in London recently either.
Last month, a brave shopkeeper fought back against his attacker with a shovel as the thug appears to douse his shop with petrol in Wembley.
The heroic worker repeatedly fends off the yob with the tool after he empties a jerrycan behind the till and says “I’m going to set you on fire“.
And this is the moment another shopkeeper uses a milk crate to fight off a pair of knife-wielding robbers.
Shocking footage from last year also shows two women brazenly stealing £2k worth of clothing from a central London store in broad daylight.
Bethan John, 25, and Jessie Thompson, 31, were forced to flee Pil Corner Stores in Milford Haven empty handed after the brave member of staff beat back the armed women.
Elsewhere, a man has been arrested and new CCTV released after more than 600 high value British Empire artefacts were stolen in a museum heist.
A group of four males broke into Bristol Museum in the early hours of September 25 last year sparking a major manhunt.
Avon and Somerset Police arrested a 41-year-old man on suspicion of handling stolen goods, later releasing him under investigation.
And this is the UK’s shoplifting capital, a city centre famed for its culture, history and entertainment.
Struggling businesses on the high streets are having to fork out even more cash on extra security, staff and new-fangled contraptions in the fight against the theft epidemic ravaging the nation.
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