The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Hunt for masked raiders after jewellery robbery
Detectives are hunting a gang of masked raiders after an early morning raid on a jewellers in the Queensgate shopping centre. The gang got away with a haul worth tens of thousands of pounds after using a sledgehammer to break in to Fraser Hart Jewellers. Two people have been charged with handling stolen goods in connection with the raid.
A gang of masked men smashed their way into Queensgate shopping centre before stealing jewellery worth tens of thousands of pounds in a morning raid. The gang used a sledgehammer to break into the shopping centre at 3am on Thursday morning, before smashing windows at Fraser Hart Jewellers.
The gang had broken into Queensgate through the Exchange Street entrance, and fled through the same door, before making off towards Bridge Street - possibly round the back of the Town Hall.
The sledgehammer used by the gang was left by the store.
A series of small bin fires were also started in the city centre between 3am and 4am on the night - in Cowgate, Priestgate, Long Causeway and Cross Street-and a police spokesman said they were ‘keeping an open mind’ as to whether the fires were connected to the raid.
However, the spokesman said there is no current suggestion the break-in is linked to other crimes elsewhere in the country.
Some goods have now been recovered - but police have refused to say what items were stolen, and what has been re- covered.
Detective Sergeant Adam Fraser said :“I would ask anyone who was in the city centre in the early hours to consider whether they saw anything that could help this investigation.
“This appears to have been an organised raid in which a specific jewellers has been targeted.
“I would urge anyone who has any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to contact police as soon as possible.”
A spokesman for Queensgate said: “We can confirm that an incident took place in Queensgate Shopping Centre during the early hours of Thursday 25 August while the centre wasclosed. Wearenow working closely with the police to help with their investigation.”
Two people have been charged with handling stolen goods in connection with the raid. Eugenia-ioana Ilin,( 24), of Orchardson Street, Westminster, London, and RaduGheorghe Gavriluta, (29), of no known address, appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Monday. They have been remanded into custody, and will appear at Peterborough Crown Court on September 26.
Anyone with information is asked to call Cambridgeshire police on 101, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.