JOIN USLocal media reports said that shocked staff and customers at Alankar Jewellers on Gelgrave Road cowered as the balaclava-clad men carried out the raid on Tuesday. The family-owned company has been on Leicester's Golden Mile for almost 40 years. The Belgrave Road is the centre for Asian business and culture, and draws thousands of Indian-origin and other people to its jewellery shops and other establishments every day.
The attack is seen as being linked to the current high price of gold. The police said the robbers drove their white van on to the pavement and into the shopfront shortly after noon. They then hurled a large piece of concrete through the front door and ran into the shop. Staff said the gang carried out the raid in silence as they smashed glass display cabinets with crowbars before grabbing the contents.
The raid was over in seconds and nobody was injured. The van was later found burned out on a nearby road. Owner Bihesh Pala said: "We are still in shock. It's horrendous what these people have done to us. We have been here almost 40 years – we were one of the first Asian businesses in this area – but nothing like this has ever happened to us before. We just don't know yet how much stock these people have taken. The main thing for us is that nobody was hurt. They said nothing, they just smashed their way into the shop and began to break the glass counters and took many pieces of jewellery."
Detective Inspector Ant Dales said: "The people in the shop are obviously shaken and distressed. The van was driven at the shop, but we don't think it went all the way in and that's seems to be why they felt the need to smash the window with the block of concrete." "There were a lot of people in the area and we want to hear from anyone who saw the van parked up, possibly in a side street beforehand, or who saw the incident."
Mahul Visram, director of Ram Jewellers, said companies on the Golden Mile were feeling vulnerable. Several were targeted last year. Visram said: "The price of gold is very high. People do not feel secure investing in currency, so they are putting their money into gold and the price has risen. Businesses know that and so do the criminals."