Shoppers film daylight raid on Glasgow arcade

Video: A shocked midday shopper at Glasgow's Argyll Arcade filmed the moment four armed men raided several jewellers

Midday shoppers at Glasgow's Argyll Arcade filmed daylight robbery. (ITN)

Four masked men carrying hammers and axes staged a daylight raid on numerous jewellery shops in Glasgow city centre on Wednesday.

Police confirmed that a group of four men targeted four jewellers - Mappin and Webb, Rox, Lewis Grant and Laings of Glasgow - at around 12:50pm. However, the gang only managed to enter Rox jewellers.

STV News reported that the four men managed to steal a number of expensive Hublot watches. Glasgow's Argyll Arcade contains some 30 jewellers and diamond merchants.

Onlooker David McCourt filmed the moment Glasgow's historic arcade became engulfed in smoke after the robbers triggered the anti-raid alarm in the mall.

A security guard wearing traditional uniform, complete with top hat, can be seen just in front of the smoke cloud, ushering people away and trying to instill some calm.

Then, like a scene from a movie, a balaclava-clad thief carrying a hammer emerges from the plume of smoke, running towards the guard who quickly gets out of the way.

He is then followed moments later by three other men emerging from the smoke and running out into the street and off down a nearby lane.

According to reports, one of the four men told people to get out of his way or "I will kill you all".

STV News also reported that a member of staff, presumed to be the security guard, suffered a leg injury during the robbery.

A police statement on the daylight raid read: "Officers are carrying out enquiries and appealing for information following a robbery in Glasgow city centre.

"Officers are currently speaking to witnesses and gathering CCTV images to establish more details on the four men responsible.

"It is believed that they made off in a white hatchback vehicle. A white Volkswagon Golf has been recovered in St James Road, Townhead, Glasgow.

"Enquiries are also ongoing at that location to establish if it is the vehicle involved."