The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Gleneagles Hotel: Armed gang who raided shop still on run.
raid: Police ask businesses to submit CCTV recordings
An armed gang that robbed Gleneagles Hotel staff at knifepoint remained at large last night.
Police forces across the country have been asked to look out for the four men, who raided the five-star hotel on Tuesday morning.
The raiders drove to the Auchterarder hotel in a blue Audi and parked outside.
Three of the men, armed with machetes, got out and ran into a boutique jewellery shop, near the reception area.
They threatened staff at Mappin and Webb, smashed open a display case, and made off with designer watches thought to be worth more than £100,000.
The gang, dressed head to toe in black, then sped away from the hotel and abandoned their getaway vehicle a few hundred yards away on Old Station Road, near the A9.
A witness said the men appeared to spray the inside of the car, before getting out and running into the bushes.
Police are still trying to establish how the men escaped from the area and have not ruled out the possibility they got on a train.
A helicopter, police dogs and firearms officers were deployed to Gleneagles Station, but their search drew a blank.
A police spokesman confirmed inquiries were ongoing, but declined to comment further.
Police have not put a value on the amount of jewellery seized, although some of the Rolex watches taken were said to be worth about £10,000.
Investigators have also refused to say what weapons were used in the raid, although witnesses said the men were carrying machetes – or large knives – and hammers.
It was also reported one of the men had a shotgun, which he used to threaten a member of staff at the front of the hotel.
The doorman was away from the entrance at the time of the raid, assisting a guest in the nearby car park.
Businesses in nearby Auchterarder have been urged to submit any relevant CCTV footage to police.
Investigators are also checking images from roadside cameras along the A9, as well as footage captured by CCTV at the train station and inside the hotel.
A spokeswoman for Gleneagles Hotel said staff were “shocked” by the robbery.
“The hotel was evacuated immediately in line with emergency protocol and thankfully nobody was hurt as a result of this incident,” she said.
The Mappin and Webb store in Gleneagles specialises in Rolex watches, but also sells brands such as Cartier and TAG Heuer.
No one from the company was willing to comment.
Yesterday, life at the world famous hotel was returning back to normal, as guests started to arrive for the three-day International Pro-Am golf competition.