by Sian Napier

snapier@thekmgroup.co.uk

Rings worth £9,000 were stolen from a Whitstable jewellers by two men posing as customers.

The pair entered Reppin and Jones in the High Street and asked to see the two most expensive rings in the shop window.

Owner Kurt Reppin said he was immediately suspicious of the men and decided to keep an eye on them while his assistant showed them the two single stone diamond engagement rings, one valued at £5,000 and one at £4,000.

But despite watching the men they still managed to get away with their haul, leaving a dumbfounded Mr Reppin still mystefied at how they did it.

He said: “I still can’t believe it has happened and I have gone over it in my mind and talked about it with my assistant and we feel it was just like the kind of tricks you see being performed by magicians.

“I was watching them all the time and we were so vigilant and I just can’t believe they got way with them.”

The theft happened after the two men, having examined the rings, said they would like to buy them and asked if they could be wrapped.

Mr Reppin’s assistant took them to the back of the shop but the two men said they wanted to watch them being wrapped.

Mr Reppin said: “This was suspicious so while my assistant took the rings to the front counter to wrap them I followed her and stood there keeping an eye on the men. Each ring was wrapped in its box.

"One man then left the shop while the other discussed payment with me.

"I had guessed right from the start that they were up to something so when the other man started talking about how he was going to pay and that he needed to get some more money from the cash point I just said ok, do that and come back and pay for the rings.

“He left the shop and I said to my assistant we won’t see them again.

"I even went over the road to warn the jewellers there about these two suspicious men.

"We waited a short while and then I said ok, we might as well unwrap the boxes and put the rings back. I couldn’t believe it when I saw both boxes were empty.”

Mr Reppin, who has run his business in Whitstable for five years, said both men were eastern Europeans.

One could hardly speak any English while the other tried to engage Mr Reppin in conversation. They were both about 30.

One was tall and slim with dark messy hair while the other was short and stocky with gold teeth.