Right Cash in Chatham High Street - scene of the armed robbery

by Dan Bloom

A pawnbroker's manager had a machete held to his throat during a robbery today by two men wearing blue boiler suits.

The robbers struck just after 9am at Right Cash in Chatham High Street, next to the Luton arches.

Owner Chris Collins, 28, said he believes they made off with about £800 and 50 pieces of jewellery worth thousands of pounds.

The shop manager, who did not want to be named, was alone in a store room when he heard the door open.

Then, he said: "He must have jumped over the counter because the first I saw of him was when I went round, heard the door go and I got a machete right in my throat.

"He wanted the code to the safe and I said I didn't know the code. He asked me again, raising his voice and I said I didn't know.

"he must have jumped over the counter because the first i saw of him was when i went round, heard the door go and i got a machete right in my throat" – right cash shop manager

"He asked for the keys to the cabinet, he chucked them to his friend and made me open the till and emptied the till while the other guy emptied the gold from the cabinet.

"It lasted two or three minutes. The other bloke had what I think was a hammer or chisel or something like that.

"They ran up Chatham Hill and I grabbed the phone, dialled 999 and just watched them go up the road."

Mr Collins, who started the independent shop aged 19, said the stolen gold included a 56g nine-carat bracelet and a large selection of gold chains and rings.

He said: "Things have gone missing before, that's why everything's in cabinets now, but touch wood nothing ever this serious.

"The insurance is not going to touch it. We're going to have to absorb it but in these financial times it is a struggle losing any money, especially with the hard work we put in."

Police arrived within two minutes and took CCTV footage from the shop's cameras. They are appealing for witnesses to the robbery.

Officers say the first man was wearing a dark blue boiler suit and had his face covered and a hood up.

The second, a white man, was wearing a lighter blue boiler suit, a blue hat with ear pieces and a scarf covering the lower part of his face.

Anyone who saw the robbery, or the men running away, should dial 101, quoting crime incident number 08-0248, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.