A gang of eight burglars wearing balaclavas are said to have smashed their way into Bluewater using sledgehammers and escaped with jewellery using ropes.

The raid, which happened in the early hours of Monday, saw the group shatter the glass front of the Breitling shop before making off with a large amount of valuable watches.

They are then said to have fled via the Rose Gallery car park - smashing doors on the way out - before using a rope to climb up and out of the complex.

Security staff spotted the suspects on CCTV at around 2.20am, who then alerted police.

Detectives are hunting the suspects. They are also appealing for witnesses after discovering a hole in a fence near to Hedge Place Road in Greenhithe.

Officers want to hear from anyone who saw suspicious activity between Hedge Place Road and Stonechat Mews.

The suspects were all wearing dark clothing with their faces covered by balaclavas.

Just before the burglary, a silver Ford Mondeo was found alight in the middle level of the Thameswalk car park.

Officers also found a heavy duty cable padlocked across Mounts Road in Greenhithe. The cable is believed to have been stolen from nearby Waterstone Park in Skylark Avenue. It is believed to have formed part of a children's zip line.

Police want to hear from anyone who believes they have information about the burglary, the silver Ford Mondeo fire, the heavy duty cable or the circumstances around the hole in the fence.

Detective Sergeant Richard Spicer said: "We are dealing with a group which appear to have gone to great lengths to carry out this burglary and I would encourage anyone with information to get in touch."

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 01474 366149 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting crime reference XY/023608/16.