Hunt for 'double' gems raiders

One of the raiders armed himself with a machete

Police are appealing for information on simultaneous raids on jewellers' shops in Manchester city centre.

Two gangs of three men - armed with a sledgehammer, gun, a knife and a machete - targeted David M Robinson on St Ann's Square and Mappin and Webb on nearby St Ann's Street, on Monday morning.

The gangs pulled up in two cars near to the shops, soon after they opened for business. The getaway cars were later found burnt out.

Police say the stolen jewellery and watches - which have a combined value of around £400,000 - were possibly stolen to order.

Three men in a stolen blue Rover MG ZT4 parked outside St Ann's Church, before smashing through the door of David M Robinson with a sledgehammer.

Staff in each of the stores were left extremely shaken by the ordeal Detective Chief Inspector Jen Brimelow

They forced staff to lie down, before stealing jewellery.

The other gang in a green Ford Cougar drove to either Police Street or Barton Square before going into Mappin and Webb, armed with a sledgehammer, gun, knife and machete.

Two of the men were wearing white paper suits and the third was wearing a black paper suit.

Ian Thompson, of Mappin & Webb, said staff had been traumatised by the robberies.

He said: "It is very traumatic and with the noise and the potential violence that could be associated with something like this, it's a terrible scenario to go through."

'Well planned'

The cars were parked up at the side of Kendals department store before the raids and were later found abandoned on Silk Street and Bury Street, Salford.

Detective Chief Inspector Jen Brimelow, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "These robberies were very well planned.

"From the first sightings of the cars on the city's CCTV system to the time they left the city centre is less than five minutes, with the men spending just two minutes inside the shops.

"Luckily no-one was injured but the staff in each of the stores were left extremely shaken by the ordeal.

"We need to catch these men as soon as possible and I would ask anyone who witnessed the robberies to contact us immediately."