Raiders steal £1m jewellery display at Dorchester

Two men carried out a robbery in the foyer of the Dorchester Hotel in London yesterday, smashing glass cabinets and escaping with jewellery thought to be worth more than £1m.

Two men carried out a robbery in the foyer of the Dorchester Hotel in London yesterday, smashing glass cabinets and escaping with jewellery thought to be worth more than £1m.

Police said the thieves, who may have been carrying a gun, used a sledgehammer to break into two bullet-proof display cabinets containing items of jewellery on loan from outside companies.

The robbery, which happened at about 6am, is being investigated by the Flying Squad.

A spokeswoman for the hotel said no one had been injured. She added that there were seven staff members in the area at the time, but no guests.

She described the raiders as about 6ft tall and of large build. Both were wearing balaclavas.

"Security staff were on the premises and raised the alarm," she said. "Guest safety was not compromised and the hotel is operating as normal."

The raiders fled into Deanery Street and then South Audley Street.

Pictures from the hotel's security cameras have been passed to police to be examined. Detectives are comparing the robbery to a similar incident a few months ago at a hotel in Paris owned by the Sultan of Brunei.