POLICE are fast-tracking forensic evidence from a getaway car abandoned after an armed robbery at a Beverley jewellers.
Detectives believe the masked gang may have been spooked by the police pursuit, which saw a helicopter and officers scouring the area within minutes of Tuesday morning's raid at Guest & Philips.
The silver Vauxhall Omega getaway car was abandoned near Beverley Racecourse with the engine running.
Evidence, including two watches believed to be part of a £200,000-plus haul of more than 60 Cartier and Gucci watches, was recovered from the car by police.
Detectives believe four robbers were in the gang and used two silver-coloured getaway vehicles from the town centre after the raid, which saw the shop staff threatened with a firearm, described as a sawn-off shotgun.
The abandoned car had previously been seen in the Hereford Street and Gypsyville area of Hull between Sunday, July 28 and Tuesday – the day of the robbery.
Detective Chief Inspector Alistair McFarlane said police had responded within 90 seconds of the jewellers' alarm company raising the alert after the panic button was pressed by jeweller Philip Guest.
Det Chief Insp McFarlane said: "Officers were deployed straightaway and we had the police helicopter in the air within two or three minutes.
"It was the helicopter that found the vehicle.
"We found that quickly and I wonder if that prevented any sort of attempt to get rid of the forensics on the vehicle.
"When it was found, it looks as if it had been reversed into a big mound of manure at a farm and they have made off leaving some stuff in the car."
He added: "I wonder if they have been spooked by the police activity and the helicopter in the air. I am surprised the car was still there and had not been set alight."
Jeweller Philip Guest, who tried to thwart the raiders, was concerned it took officers as long as 15 minutes to arrive at the shop in Saturday Market after the alarm was raised.
Mr Guest said: "When the panic button was pressed, the robbers were still in the shop for some time – sufficient time for me to go upstairs and throw a vase at them as they were trying to get away, time for them to threaten a driver who attempted to block their escape and time for them to get out of the town centre."
But police say officers were already searching for the gang after establishing they had made their getaway and no one was injured at the shop.
Det Chief Insp McFarlane said: "I believe that police staff were actually on the phone to the staff while we were searching and we were getting information and giving advice."
Police say the raid, shortly after 9.35am on Tuesday, was clearly planned and coincided with a breakfast break taken by workmen constructing new road surfaces in Saturday Market.
Det Chief Insp McFarlane said: "Clearly, they were well prepared. We think there may have been two vehicles, one farther away in case they had a problem.
"A van driver tried to block them in and people said when they drove away both of the getaway vehicles took different routes."
Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting log number 137 of 06/08/2013.
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