40m gem robbery was second try

The stills show the two men wanted in connection with the £40million raid at Graff Diamonds in London’s West End on August 6 standing outside the store on the Tuesday before the robbery occurred.

They are pictured looking into the shop at around 5:40 pm while other images show a blue BMW used in the raid driving through New Bond Street in Mayfair, where the store is located. Detective Chief Inspector Pam Mace, head of Barnes Flying Squad, said: “We believe this was more than just a practice run, and that they were planning on committing the robbery on August 4.”

Insurers have offered a £1million reward for information leading to the capture of the thieves and the recovery of the 43 stolen necklaces, earrings and bracelets.

In the new images, the two men are wearing similar clothes to the suits they wore during the heist, although one is wearing a purple shirt without a tie.

On the day of the robbery the thieves were let into the premises by a security guard before producing handguns and forcing staff to lie on the floor. They fired at least one shot during their escape and again as they got into a silver Mercedes in Dover Street when they were challenged by drinkers at a pub. They abandoned the BMW after it hit a black taxi.

Police have found a high-powered motorbike which may have been used to spirit away a bag containing the gems. The first vehicle was a silver B-class Mercedes with the registration number LV06 HFA. It drove into Farm Street where it is believed some of the suspects got into another vehicle – a blue Volkswagen Sharan with the registration number RA07 XEV. A police spokesman said the registration plates were cloned.

One of the robbers was white, aged around 30, of slim build and with dark hair and light stubble. He was wearing a grey suit, white shirt and tie. The other was black, in his 30s, 6ft tall, and of a larger build than the first suspect, with short hair. He was also wearing a grey suit, white shirt and tie.