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| Faberge eggs snatched in robbery | Faberge eggs snatched in robbery |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Thieves armed with sledgehammers smashed a jewellers' window and ran off with two rare Faberge eggs among a haul worth around £250,000. | Thieves armed with sledgehammers smashed a jewellers' window and ran off with two rare Faberge eggs among a haul worth around £250,000. |
| Two men wearing balaclava masks pulled up outside Clive Ranger in Cardiff city centre at 1030 GMT on Tuesday. | Two men wearing balaclava masks pulled up outside Clive Ranger in Cardiff city centre at 1030 GMT on Tuesday. |
| They grabbed the jewels from the shop window before escaping in a stolen getaway car which hours later was found burning in a Cardiff street. | They grabbed the jewels from the shop window before escaping in a stolen getaway car which hours later was found burning in a Cardiff street. |
| Police cordoned off the area and a major investigation is now underway. | Police cordoned off the area and a major investigation is now underway. |
| The masked raiders smashed the toughened-glass window with sledgehammers just after staff had put the items on display at the store on St Mary's Street. | The masked raiders smashed the toughened-glass window with sledgehammers just after staff had put the items on display at the store on St Mary's Street. |
| Members of the public tried to stop them, but they dropped the sledgehammers on the pavement and sped off in a waiting stolen car. | Members of the public tried to stop them, but they dropped the sledgehammers on the pavement and sped off in a waiting stolen car. |
| Police immediately launched an appeal for witnesses, and issued details of a stolen VW car they were trying to trace - registration number CV07 PVL. | Police immediately launched an appeal for witnesses, and issued details of a stolen VW car they were trying to trace - registration number CV07 PVL. |
| A car matching that description and registration plate was later discovered on fire at Plasturton Gardens in the Pontcanna area, not far from the city centre. | A car matching that description and registration plate was later discovered on fire at Plasturton Gardens in the Pontcanna area, not far from the city centre. |
| The getaway car was found burnt out in a Cardiff street | The getaway car was found burnt out in a Cardiff street |
| Eyewitnesses said three police cars and two vans were quickly on the scene, and the park was cordoned off. | Eyewitnesses said three police cars and two vans were quickly on the scene, and the park was cordoned off. |
| Eyewitness Ceri George said there were a "series of explosions" as the tyres and windows of the car blew. | |
| "At one point my neighbour's little girl was in the front room and a shard of metal flew straight through the window and smashed glass all over her, so I think we were really afraid," she said. | |
| "It was very, very intense heat and huge big black billowing smoke and really big flames." | |
| The most distinctive items taken in the robbery are two Faberge eggs - modern versions of the jewel-encrusted ornaments that were created for the Russian Tsars. | The most distinctive items taken in the robbery are two Faberge eggs - modern versions of the jewel-encrusted ornaments that were created for the Russian Tsars. |
| One called a hen egg which contains little chicks and rabbits, is worth £65,000. The robbers broke it off its base making it almost impossible to sell on. | One called a hen egg which contains little chicks and rabbits, is worth £65,000. The robbers broke it off its base making it almost impossible to sell on. |
| The second is a Welsh egg made exclusively for Clive Ranger and is valued at £18,000. | The second is a Welsh egg made exclusively for Clive Ranger and is valued at £18,000. |
| The thieves also took a Faberge watch and some diamond rings, bringing the total haul to around £250,000. | The thieves also took a Faberge watch and some diamond rings, bringing the total haul to around £250,000. |
| Clive Ranger store manager Karl Parry said witnesses had seen one of the men carrying a firearm. | Clive Ranger store manager Karl Parry said witnesses had seen one of the men carrying a firearm. |
| He said staff at the jewellers did not see the robbers but were "shocked and shaken" by the raid. | He said staff at the jewellers did not see the robbers but were "shocked and shaken" by the raid. |
| The stolen eggs will be difficult to dispose of, says the manager | The stolen eggs will be difficult to dispose of, says the manager |
| "The jewellery is kept in a safe overnight and we had just finished putting it all out in the window displays when we heard this almighty bang on the window," he said. | "The jewellery is kept in a safe overnight and we had just finished putting it all out in the window displays when we heard this almighty bang on the window," he said. |
| "We personally did not see anything but lots of people were around the store and saw it all." | "We personally did not see anything but lots of people were around the store and saw it all." |
| Safe installer Tony Harley, from Wolverhampton, described how he used his car to try to stop the robbers escaping. | Safe installer Tony Harley, from Wolverhampton, described how he used his car to try to stop the robbers escaping. |
| "I pulled the van in front of the car so he couldn't drive off. I was just trying to get my camera on my phone to take his picture," he said. | "I pulled the van in front of the car so he couldn't drive off. I was just trying to get my camera on my phone to take his picture," he said. |
| "He was looking straight at me and he was just shouting to the chaps who were robbing the place to hurry up. | "He was looking straight at me and he was just shouting to the chaps who were robbing the place to hurry up. |
| "They all just bundled into the car and he couldn't move off. So I tried to keep him where he was but he just went up the kerb and was driving along the pavement. He could have hit anyone really." | "They all just bundled into the car and he couldn't move off. So I tried to keep him where he was but he just went up the kerb and was driving along the pavement. He could have hit anyone really." |