Hammer raiders rob town jewellery store

Police were called to Riverstones Jewellers in Crown Street at 11.30am yesterday after two men armed with a sledgehammer struck at the the business.

They smashed the window before grabbing the jewellery.

Four items of high value are believed to have been stolen during the robbery.

Stephen Maskill, owner of Maskill’s Butchers on Crown Street said: “I saw them earlier on the street parked outside. But I vaguely noticed them.

“Twenty seconds later they were off. I didn’t hear them hitting the window. I just heard the kerfuffle when they were escaping on the bike. It all happened quite fast.”

The men made off on a motorbike along Crown Street towards Todmorden leaving the sledgehammer at the scene.

One of them was wearing a white helmet and the second a yellow one.

The latter was also wearing a white coloured top/cardigan.

There is the possibility they could have been seen prior to the robbery parked up in St George’s Square.

A police helicopter was called to help with the search for the two culprits over Hebden Bridge.

Anyone with any information should contact police on 101 or via Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.