Edinburgh robbery: ‘Golden brooch and Hermès bags will nail raiders’

POLICE investigating an armed robbery in which a couple were tied up and robbed at knife-point in their upmarket Edinburgh home have released pictures of some of the items taken.

Among the pieces stolen in what police believe was a targeted attack were designer handbags by Hermès, some of which sell for thousands of pounds, and a golden Chinese brooch.

The robbery at the property in the Barnton area saw the three thieves escape with jewellery and personal items worth about £15,000, after ransacking the house. They also stole almost £5,000 in assorted currencies.

Police believe the robbers would now be trying to sell the items taken during the incident in Barnton Avenue West last month, and appealed for traders to look out for the items.

The thieves grabbed the 48-year-old female homeowner as she returned home at 9:30pm on 9 March. She was forced into the house and tied up. When her 58-year-old husband returned to the house 15 minutes later, he was also grabbed and tied up.

The man managed to loosen his bindings after the robbers had left, and reported the incident to police.

Officers have said that they believed the criminals had deliberately targeted the home.

Releasing images of two high-end handbags and a gold brooch taken in the robbery, detectives on the inquiry team appealed to traders all over the country to be aware that people may be trying to sell on these items.

In addition, officers also appealed for information about two vehicles that were seen travelling together in the area of Barnton Avenue West on the day of the robbery.

One was described as being a dark-coloured saloon, the other a silver-coloured people-carrier with blacked-out windows.

Detective Inspector Gordon McCreadie said that they were keen to speak to the drivers of the vehicles.

“In the past four weeks there has been extensive work done in terms of CCTV viewing and house-to-house inquiries, and as a result we are now keen to trace the drivers of the two vehicles that were seen in the area on the day of the robbery.

“The dark-coloured saloon and silver-coloured people carrier with blacked-out windows seem to have been travelling together, so may have caught the attention of passers-by.

“We also now have a detailed list of the property that was stolen, and as such we are asking people, in particular traders, to take a look at the images of some of these items, and consider whether someone has tried to sell this on to you recently.”

Mr McCreadie said that officers had already received a good response from the public to an earlier appeal, and asked for further help in solving the crime.