Raiders take woman hostage and grab millions from Mayfair jewellers

The men arrived by black cab at Graff Diamonds in New Bond Street, coolly paying the fare
before walking in and threatening staff with a handgun.

They grabbed dozens of valuable rings and necklaces. The haul from what detectives describe as a carefully planned operation is expected to run into several million.

The pair — who were dressed in suits and spoke in London accents — both briefly seized a woman employee and fired a shot into the ground as they left at about 5pm.

Staff were said to have been "manhandled" and the hostage was left unharmed in the street as the robbers got into a waiting BMW, but they abandoned the car in Dover Street after crashing
into a black cab, and continued on foot. As the cabbie and drinkers from the nearby King's Head pub gave chase, one of the men fired another round into the ground to warn them off.

The men then drove off in a silver Mercedes, and witnesses reported seeing a man clutching a package speeding away on a motorbike. Police are still searching for the car.

Recruitment consultant Rob Cottrell, 30, said: "I saw a black guy dressed in a suit being
chased by a cabbie he had crashed into. He fired off a round from a handgun.

In front of him was another car and he was running to catch up with it. He got in and they drove off. Another man got away on a motorcycle.
He was clutching a package."

The cab driver who was rammed said: "I jumped out to see the damage and the car kept coming up the pavement, so I skipped over the side to get out of the way. I was shouting, What are you doing?' I carried on to the end of the road and
heard the shot."

A press officer for Graff was in tears at the scene, and a security guard said: "No one was hurt and that's the main thing."

The taxi driver who dropped the men off came forward today and was being interviewed by police. Detectives said one suspect is white, aged about 30, with dark hair, and the other is
in his 30s, 6ft tall, and well built, with very short Afro hair. Both wore grey suits.

In May 2003 thieves took £23 million of gems from the shop which says it sells "the most fabulous jewels in the world".

Police appealed for witnesses to contact Barnes Flying Squad on 020 8247 4804.