Three masked men carried out a smash-and-grab raid at the Canterbury Jeweller's in the centre of the city today.

They battered the window with a sledgehammer before escaping in a blue car at 10.30am.

Police are at the scene in St Peter's Street and say that an amount of jewellery was stolen.

The raid lasted around two minutes and took place in mid-morning in one of Canterbury's busiest shopping streets.

Fred Whitemore, an ex-Lord Mayor of the city, was at the scene moments after it happened.

He said: "I can't believe they did it.

"Apparently, they really hammered and hammered at it before running off with a load of watches."

Police officers flooded the city centre after the raid and staked out major routes out of Canterbury.

A similar raid took place at Hadfield's Jeweller's in Castle Street in April.

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