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Onlookers foil armed raiders in Lewes
 |
| Investigating police officers cordon off the area outside the shop |
Thieves raided a jewellers
shop but were
thwarted when an
onlooker took the keys
from their getaway car.
Four men used sledgehammers
to smash their way into
the WE Clark and Son shop in
Cliffe High Street, Lewes, at
3.30pm yesterday.
Dressed in green boiler
suits and balaclavas, the men
bagged tens of thousands of
pounds worth of stock in front
of two terrified staff and four
customers, none of whom
were injured.
But last night three men
were being questioned on suspicion
of being members of
the violent gang responsible
for the attack on the store.
The thieves had been plundering
the shop for luxury
jewellery when people in the
crowded street outside
hatched their own plan.
A woman parked her car
across the narrow road, blocking
in the raiders' red Peugeot
getaway car.
One man put traffic cones
and a roadworks sign in front
of the vehicle and another
took decisive action and
grabbed the keys left in the
car's ignition.
When the thieves got outside,
they saw what had happened
and fled down the
street on foot - chased by
three onlookers who had seen
them leave the shop.
The raiders then jumped
into another car, possibly left
as a back-up getaway by the
nearby Cuilfail tunnel. Three
people were later arrested
after police stopped a car on
the A22 near the Boship
roundabout at Hailsham.
David Clark, the managing
director of the jewellery shop,
commended his staff and the
customers in the shop for
their bravery during the three
minutes or so the men were
inside. He said: "My staff took
every professional step to
ensure the safety of the customers
which was paramount."
One onlooker who chased
after the four men as they ran
away from the shop was
James Pullan from Fletching.
He saw the getaway car
pull up outside the shop and
the four men get out.
He said: "I saw them smash
their way into the shop with
sledge hammers and I knew
this was a serious raid."
Yesterday's raid came four
months after a similar raid
saw £250,000 of luxury
watches at a heist at an Eastbourne
jewellers.
In that raid, three men in
paper boiler suits and balaclavas
smashed the windows
of W Bruford in Cornfield
Road with sledgehammers.
Their haul included 60
watches made by leading
brands.
Sussex Police have
appealed for witnesses or anyone
with information about
yesterday's raid to call Detective
Chief Inspector Mark
Ling on 0845 6070999, quoting
serial 1129 of May 8.
11:54am Friday 9th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Flat Foot Soozie, Brunswick Square on 12:16pm Fri 9 May 08
The foolish raiders must have been watching too many Hollywood movies. In these people are always leaving the keys in the ignition, thereby enabling others to leap in and drive away. Why is this? It is against all police advice.
The foolish raiders must have been watching too many Hollywood movies. In these people are always leaving the keys in the ignition, thereby enabling others to leap in and drive away. Why is this? It is against all police advice.
Posted by: bobby bigballs, Brighton on 12:21pm Fri 9 May 08
People power does work as demonstrated here - so come on everyone lets take Gordon Browns keys away from him so he is not able to get back into number 10. One way of getting rid of him!
People power does work as demonstrated here - so come on everyone lets take Gordon Browns keys away from him so he is not able to get back into number 10. One way of getting rid of him!
Posted by: LB, Hove on 12:32pm Fri 9 May 08
in hollywood someone always stays with the car to ensure a quick getaway...
unlike the Crawley boys yesterday at least this lots backup plan wasn't a no27 bus.
in hollywood someone always stays with the car to ensure a quick getaway...
unlike the Crawley boys yesterday at least this lots backup plan wasn't a no27 bus.
Posted by: Queen's English Society member, Brighton & Hove on 12:39pm Fri 9 May 08
"none of whom were injured."
none of whom WAS injured.
"none of whom were injured."
none of whom WAS injured.
Posted by: RAS Putin, Brighton on 12:47pm Fri 9 May 08
Oh dear! I always thought the getaway driver stayed [italic]in[/italic] the car with the engine running!
Oh dear! I always thought the getaway driver stayed
in the car with the engine running!
Posted by: Carole, Sussex on 2:57pm Fri 9 May 08
I have recently started working in Lewes for Mr Clark and I was in the shop when the raid took place. The people who jumped up to help try to foil the raid were amazing and are a credit to the town.
I have recently started working in Lewes for Mr Clark and I was in the shop when the raid took place. The people who jumped up to help try to foil the raid were amazing and are a credit to the town.
Posted by: Luke is cool!, Brighton on 3:04pm Fri 9 May 08
The members of the public involved in this should DEFINTELY all get medals, commendations, and lots of other awards.
Hero's everyone of them.
YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY!
The members of the public involved in this should DEFINTELY all get medals, commendations, and lots of other awards.
Hero's everyone of them.
YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY!
Posted by: Dufus, Hove on 3:21pm Fri 9 May 08
Well done everyone. But were the stolen goods recovered?
The Government should ban the sale of sledgehammers.
Well done everyone. But were the stolen goods recovered?
The Government should ban the sale of sledgehammers.
Posted by: Harry, Brighton on 3:23pm Fri 9 May 08
This is the sense of community that makes Lewes so great and Brighton so rubbish.
This is the sense of community that makes Lewes so great and Brighton so rubbish.
Posted by: Jules, Lewes on 3:51pm Fri 9 May 08
if it had been Brighton, they would have counselling for the robbers and would prosecute the heroic public.
if it had been Brighton, they would have counselling for the robbers and would prosecute the heroic public.
Posted by: Peter Drainpipe, Brighton on 4:01pm Fri 9 May 08
[quote][bold]bobby bigballs[/bold] wrote:
People power does work as demonstrated here - so come on everyone lets take Gordon Browns keys away from him so he is not able to get back into number 10. One way of getting rid of him! [/quote] Can we also take your computer away from you so we don't have to read your mind-numbing and irrelevant comments every day?
bobby bigballs wrote:
People power does work as demonstrated here - so come on everyone lets take Gordon Browns keys away from him so he is not able to get back into number 10. One way of getting rid of him!
Can we also take your computer away from you so we don't have to read your mind-numbing and irrelevant comments every day?
Posted by: Bad Guy on 4:05pm Fri 9 May 08
O'h it could of been so different, the robbers could of turned round and sprayed these members of the public with an AK47 that would have given the public something to think about.
Warning to all potential robbers, the public will try to stop you, so use guns and deadly force to escape.
O'h it could of been so different, the robbers could of turned round and sprayed these members of the public with an AK47 that would have given the public something to think about.
Warning to all potential robbers, the public will try to stop you, so use guns and deadly force to escape.
Posted by: yep, brighton on 4:22pm Fri 9 May 08
Some dodgy looking+sounding bloke called me over to his car near a cashpoint in Hove today,and tried to sell me expensive looking watches,I presumed they would be fake or a scam,but maybe it was related to one of these jobs?
Nice work anyway,cant imagine that happening in Brighton or Hove somehow.
Some dodgy looking+sounding bloke called me over to his car near a cashpoint in Hove today,and tried to sell me expensive looking watches,I presumed they would be fake or a scam,but maybe it was related to one of these jobs?
Nice work anyway,cant imagine that happening in Brighton or Hove somehow.
Posted by: Barry, Walsingham Road on 8:12pm Fri 9 May 08
In Brighton Councillor David Smith would say that the robber's are part of the city's "vibrant culture".
In Brighton Councillor David Smith would say that the robber's are part of the city's "vibrant culture".
Posted by: bobby bigballs, brighton on 12:07pm Sat 10 May 08
[quote][bold]Peter Drainpipe[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]bobby bigballs[/bold] wrote: People power does work as demonstrated here - so come on everyone lets take Gordon Browns keys away from him so he is not able to get back into number 10. One way of getting rid of him! [/quote] Can we also take your computer away from you so we don't have to read your mind-numbing and irrelevant comments every day?[/quote] No chance Pete, I have three computers so you will be pleased to know that if one goes down I have two others - anyway, you know I'm always right! Its just a knack I have of knowing everything.
Peter Drainpipe wrote:
bobby bigballs wrote: People power does work as demonstrated here - so come on everyone lets take Gordon Browns keys away from him so he is not able to get back into number 10. One way of getting rid of him!
Can we also take your computer away from you so we don't have to read your mind-numbing and irrelevant comments every day?
No chance Pete, I have three computers so you will be pleased to know that if one goes down I have two others - anyway, you know I'm always right! Its just a knack I have of knowing everything.
Posted by: Reigna, peacehaven on 5:07pm Sat 10 May 08
[bold]The chap in the butchers apron was soooo lucky not to be run over by our taxi by the tunnel. he ran right out into the road to stop us so that a police car had a clear run. Left us wondering until the next morning what it was all about. Good on all those brave people![/bold]
The chap in the butchers apron was soooo lucky not to be run over by our taxi by the tunnel. he ran right out into the road to stop us so that a police car had a clear run. Left us wondering until the next morning what it was all about. Good on all those brave people!
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