A £1.7M jewellery store has had its windows broken in a smash and grab bid just three days after it opened.
Laing’s described its new Edinburgh store at the opening on Friday as the “largest luxury jewellery store outside London”.
Raiders targeted the store shortly after 3am today (Mon), using an unknown object to smash two windows.
It appears that they were disturbed before getting into George Street premises, which are less than half a mile from the Louis Vuitton store which was raided on Thursday last week and £80,000-worth of handbags stolen.
And it comes just nine months after a robber armed with a replica pistol raided the Laing’s store in Frederick Street – making off with almost £250,000 of watches in a hijacked cab.
At the opening of the new store on Friday, staff showed off items including a £175,000 necklace featuring 447 diamonds set in platinum.
The necklace, and the rest of the stock, appeared to have been saved by the toughened glass at the store. Although the windows were completely fractured, no more than a tiny hole was made in the glass.
A spokeswoman for Laing’s said: “Nothing has been stolen in the raid. There was an attempted break-in at 3.16am with no stock being taken. There is CCTV, that’s how we know.
“I think it was two men involved.”
Asked if they had boosted security following the Multree’s Walk raid, the spokeswoman said: “No, I think they had already got their security in place.
“We are disappointed this has happened so soon after opening but it is business as usual today.”
Asked if the two raids were linked, the spokeswoman said: “Police Scotland will have to answer that.”
One passerby who asked not to be named said: “It’s shocking isn’t it – I can’t believe it, right after the Louis Vuitton one last week.”
Brian Wright 53, who works on the street, said: “I take that it’s part of what’s been happening to jewellery stores in the area – it’s very targeted and there are others that have been hit.”
Detectives are still hunting the “incredibly brazen” pair who struck at the Louis Vuitton store in Multree’s Walk, apparently using sledgehammers to create a huge hole in the glass front.
Police Scotland said: ““Police in Edinburgh are investigating following an attempted break-in at Laing the jewellers. The incident happened around 3.15am on Monday 21 December. Enquiries are ongoing.”
Asked if they were linking the Laing’s raid with the theft at Multrees Walk, a spokeswoman said they were unable at this stage to comment.
Laing’s old location was raided by Matthew Ferry in March.
The 24 year-old stole watches worth nearly a quarter of a million – before using his weapon to hijack a cab with the driver and passenger inside.
He was sentenced to 13 years for the crime after appearing at the High Court in Edinburgh.
