Raiders strike at shop in the shadow of York Minster

Police are on the scene of an apparent raid at a high-end jewellers in York city centre.

The Ogden of Harrogate shop at Minster Gates close to York Minster has been targeted.

One side window has been smashed, leaving a gaping hole next to one entrance.

Crime scene investigators are at the store this morning (Sunday, 15 January).

One was taking photographs of the smashed glass.

A police guard, including a van and a uniformed officer, are parked outside the Low Petergate side of the shop.

All the stock is removed from the window display and the metal shutters inside are still in place.

YorkMix understands staff were called out to an alarm sounding at 1.30am today and went to the shop, but found nothing untoward.

But at 5.15am they were called out again and this time they had been broken into.

One witness told YorkMix “a male was seen breaking a window and stealing hundreds, maybe thousands of pounds worth of watches”. But this is unconfirmed.

Family-run jeweller Ogden of Harrogate opened the Minster Gates store in 2015. At the time it was the third shop opened by owners Robert and Ben Ogden.

Ogden of Harrogate was founded in 1893 by their great, great grandfather James Roberts Ogden.

According to its website, Ogden stocks “one of the finest collections of jewellery anywhere, including vintage pieces, luxury watches and items crafted in our own in-house workshop”.

It is the second raid on a York city centre jewellers in recent months.

Last October a hammer-wielding raider smashed the window of Ramsdens on Market Street in broad daylight and grabbed jewellery.

Nizar Kejman, 29, was detained by an off-duty police officer and later jailed for ten months for the burglary, which caused £1,000 of damage.

More details on the Ogden raid when we get them.