Jeweller's anger over burka ploy

Police have released CCTV of the incident

A West Midlands jeweller says it is a "disgrace" that a robber dressed in a burka in order to rob his store.

The armed robbery at Friends Jewellers in Cape Hill, Smethwick, on Wednesday involved five people and thousands of pounds of jewellery was taken.

Ash Kumar, the shop owner, said that the Muslim community should be "in uproar" over the tactic.

Mr Kumar has offered an undisclosed reward for any information which leads to a conviction.

Four members of staff were sprayed with an unknown substance before the offenders, armed with hammers, escaped with about £200,000 worth of jewels.

'Scary experience'

He said he believed the robbery at his jewellers was the work of an organised gang.

He said: "It's a disgrace that somebody used a burka in this incident and the whole Muslim community should be in uproar about this whole thing and address this problem.

"The way this guy is dressed in this burka outfit, keeping watch on the door, this whole thing is organised.

"We were thinking all the time have these guys got a firearm, are they going to throw an axe at somebody or a hammer?

"It was a very, very scary experience."

Police believe the robbery may be linked to an incident in Birmingham in which a security guard was threatened.

That incident happened on 14 March outside a supermarket in the Fox and Goose Shopping Centre on Washwood Heath Road.