Two due in court in connection with jewellery store robbery

TWO men are due to appear in court today in connection with an alleged armed robbery at a jewellery shop in the Capital.

Goods worth up to £1 million were allegedly taken from the Rox jewellery store in George Street, Edinburgh, on 15 January.

Police revisited the scene earlier this week to speak to potential witnesses.

Diamond necklaces and engagements rings worth upwards of £100,000 each and luxury watches from brands including Hublot and Corum and Girard-Perregaux were among the valuable pieces alleged to have been stolen.

Lothian and Borders Police said two men, aged 25 and 26, were arrested and charged yesterday. The men are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today.

Officers said anyone with information on the incident can still contact them.

Earlier this week, Rox announced it is to spend £50,000 on upgrading security at the Edinburgh store including a “highly sophisticated” smoke cloud system which releases a heavy fog when activated to reduce visibility during a robbery.

A spokesman for the company said that since the incident earlier this month it had already employed a full-time security guard and installed other deterrents. A round-the-clock “lock door policy” had also been put in place.

Announcing the new system he said: “The safety and well-being of our staff is our utmost priority at all times ... We are investing £50,000 in additional security for our Edinburgh store to deter burglars and give staff, who are still badly shaken, extra peace of mind. Smoke cloud systems have been used to great success by other luxury jewellers across the UK.”

The Edinburgh store opened last October and in December was offering a rare Girard-Perregeaux Opera Two, the only watch of its kind in the UK, for sale for £500,000.

However a spokesman for Rox said the valuable timepiece, which had taken 500 hours to assemble, and featured a 37-jewel movement, an ivory dial, a brown alligator strap and an 18ct gold case, was no longer in the store by the time the alleged robbery took place.

The jewellery store is one of a number of upmarket stores to have opened in the newly redeveloped Assembly Rooms on George Street.

The Assembly Rooms reopened last summer following an 18 month restoration project costing £9.3m.