Raiders caught on TV

THESE dramatic closed-circuit television pictures captured the robbery at Clark's the Jewellers in Lewes which resulted in the theft of a 30,000 necklace.

The smash-and-grab, which included a lighted flare being thrown into the shop's office, was all over in just eight dramatic seconds.

Clark's are offering a 1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the robbers, and the business's insurers may follow suit with another 1,000.

The picture (left) shows the moment when one of the men leapt a glass display cabinet to reach and smash an internal window with an implement, thought now to have been a small axe, to reach the necklace.

The other man, the smaller of the two, can be seen in the doorway in the act of throwing the flare which set fire to the office carpet and wooden floor of the 18th century shop, and part of the wall.

Said proprietor John Clark: 'If it were not for the swift and courageous action of staff Daniel Blackford and David Clark, who put out the blaze with two extinguishers, the whole place could have gone up in flames.

'I am putting up the reward because I feel that these people should not be allowed to get away with this sort of thing, even though I don't expect to see the necklace again.

'The robbery was an horrific thing to happen. Staff were terrified. We want the offenders brought to justice before they offend again.

'These things should not go on.'

Det Con Costin Bonell, in charge of the case, said investigators had so far drawn a blank since the initial public response.

'We need to catch these men before they strike again,' he said. 'To use a flare which started a fire makes it even more violent.'