The faces of convicted gang members who conspired to steal millions of pounds’ worth of jewellery before tying up and terrorising victims in their own homes have been released. On one occasion, offenders wearing boiler suits and motorcycle helmets smashed their way into an art gallery and made off with a diamond encrusted tiara worth around £3.5million.
The audacious raid at Nottinghamshire’s Welbeck Estate was later linked to a series of violent robberies – including at the homes of two international footballers. Nottinghamshire Police began a major investigation after the carefully planned raid at the Harley Gallery on November 20, 2018.
Items taken included the Portland Tiara - made for the Duchess of Portland to wear at the coronation of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in 1902 – and a matching brooch. Detectives were later able to link the raid to a series of subsequent robberies and burglary in early 2019 when they raided a shop (Paris Jewels) in London’s Hatton Garden where they believed the tiara had been taken.
