'High value' watches snatched in jewel heist

Police are appealing for witnesses to an armed robbery at a jeweller’s store in Banbury this morning.

At 10.40am officers were called to reports of an incident in the High Street. A number of men with their heads covered attacked the shop with a hammer and stole 'high value' watches, police said.

It is believed they then fled the scene on motorbikes. However, one offender was detained by a member of the public, who also managed to pull the headcovering from another offender.

A bag containing some or possibly all the property from the robbery was found at the scene.

A security device in the shop discharged clouds of smoke but there was no fire. One man has been arrested.

Det Insp Mike Lynch said: “We would urge any witnesses, and there were many as this was a busy shopping street, to contact us as a matter of urgency to tell us what they saw.”