Masked armed robbers targeted two jewellery and watch stores in a Leeds shopping centre.
The gang wearing black balaclavas and brandishing axes, a chainsaw, baseball bats and a sledgehammer ransacked the Beaverbrooks and Tag Heuer stores in the White Rose shopping centre on Wednesday evening.
West Yorkshire Police said five attackers stormed the stores, smashed display cases and then fled the scene with a number of watches shortly before 21:00 BST.
No-one was seriously injured in the incident.
A member of staff had their hair pulled during the raid but was otherwise physically unharmed, police said.
Det Insp John Graham said: “This clearly planned and targeted robbery has taken place when the shopping centre was reasonably quiet, but I understand the huge concern that seeing these individuals armed with multiple weapons will have caused to those who were present.
“Thankfully, the staff member who was confronted by these robbers did not suffer any lasting injury, but this has been an extremely traumatic experience for them.”
Image source, BBC/Adam Laver
A spokesperson for the Beaverbrooks and TAG Heuer stores said the stores would remain temporarily closed and apologised to customers for any inconveniences caused.
“We can confirm that there was an incident at our TAG Heuer boutique in White Rose Shopping Centre on the evening of Wednesday 26 June and the boutique is now temporarily closed,” they said.
“We are doing everything possible to assist the police in their investigation as well as providing support for our colleagues at the boutique.”
A spokesperson for White Rose confirmed the shopping centre would be open as usual on Thursday with an enhanced police presence on site.
“We understand that this event may have been alarming for staff and guests, and we want to reassure everyone that together with the police we attended the scene rapidly and have flexible and robust plans in place to respond to such incidents,” the spokesperson said.
“We are continuing to work with police as they conduct their investigations.”
Police asked anyone with information to contact them.