POLICE are today hunting a thief who snatched an £11,530 watch from an Ipswich jewellers.The brazen crook walked into Goldsmiths in Tavern Street yesterday and distracted a sales assistant before making off with the loot.
POLICE are today hunting a thief who snatched an £11,530 watch from an Ipswich jewellers.
The brazen crook walked into Goldsmiths in Tavern Street yesterday and distracted a sales assistant before making off with the loot.
Police scrambled the force helicopter and uniformed and plain clothes officers hunted for the thief but to no avail.
He is thought to have escaped down an alleyway next to McDonalds and into the St Mary le Tower churchyard.
The theft happened about 2.20pm and officers were quickly on the scene, hunting in Christchurch Park and the surrounding area for the crook.
Louise Rosher, spokeswoman for the force, said: “Staff said the man was well-presented and appeared to be a serious customer.
“The offender was taken to the seating area in the shop to be shown the watch and he held it. He asked the shopping assistant a question which had to be looked up and, while the member of staff was distracted, he made a run for it with the watch.”
The man spoke to the manager of the shop and told him he worked in the city, had just received a bonus and wanted to treat himself.
He is said to have had a good knowledge of Rolex watches and was wearing a Cartier watch.
The offender is described as having a slight Essex accent.
He was white, in his late 20s to early 30s, 5ft 9in to 5ft 11in with short dark hair and was wearing a blue suit jacket, black polished ankle boots, dark blue suit trousers, a pink or peach shirt and a shooting style quilted jacket.
The watch was a gold date/time Rolex Oyster watch.
Anyone with information about the incident should call Pc Luke Turner at Ipswich police on 01473 613500 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
Goldsmiths declined to comment on the incident.
Did you witness the incident? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail: eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk
Weblinks: www.suffolk.police.uk; www.eveningstar.co.uk/news
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