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Robbers who smashed their way into a jeweller’s have struck fear into the heart of an affluent neighbourhood made famous by the hit TV show Ted Lasso.
Two masked men were caught on camera smashing through the reinforced window of Gregory & Co in leafy Richmond on Saturday morning.
Locals’ screams can be heard as the pair plundered diamond and gold jewellery,which they scooped into a bag before making their escape across Richmond Green.
The raid,caught on dramatic video footage taken by a customer in the cafe opposite,shows the men peel back the glass after battering it with a sledgehammer.
Shop members tried to stop the two men as they peeled back the glass
The robbers took just 60 seconds to grab the jewellery worth thousands before escaping.
The family-run store is just two doors away from the flat used as the location for Richmond AFC manager Ted Lasso in the Apple TV show. The comedy focused on a US coach running a struggling football league side.
The flat on the Pavement just off Richmond Green and near the Princes Head pub,also featured in the series,was targeted by burglars two years ago.
Jason Sudeikis stars as the eponymous coach in the TV show Ted Lasso filmed on location in Richmond
The windows of Gregory & Co jewellers have been boarded up in Richmond (Picture w8media)
Amy Hilton,26,witnessed the raid on Saturday and spoke of the fear among those caught up in the mayhem just after breakfast time.
The airline worker told Metro: ‘I was in the cafe,I heard a thumping and then looked over and two men were bashing in the window.
‘It was very shocking there were people out and about and everyone was very scared.
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‘I was in the cafe but there were some ladies outside who were terrified. I’d just been for a park run with my boyfriend and couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
‘In Richmond of all places at that time of day. They ran off afterwards. Loads of people called the police.’
Amy Hilton witnessed the daring raid and spoke to Metro
She added: ‘Some of the locals have been saying it could be the Ted Lasso series which has made the area more of a target. It was really scary.’
The owners of the store were still clearing up the shop,which has its window boarded up,but declined to comment on Monday.
Staff tried to thwart the robbers,who witnesses said were not speaking English, by pushing them back through the window and trying to hide the precious jewels before they could be snatched.
Detectives are trawling through footage showing the raid and forensics officers were dispatched to the scene. There have been no arrests following the raid which happened at 10.30am.
Karen Lewis,65,said Ted Lasso has bought ‘unwanted attention’ to the area (Picture: w8media)
Karen Lewis,told Metro that the Ted Lasso series had brought unwanted attention to the area with thieves seeing it as a soft target.
She said: ‘The Ted Lasso filming has brought unwanted attention to the area. There are more burglaries around the green with burglars knowing that a lot of the houses are empty for a lot of the time.
‘Sometimes there’s yummy mummies out in the cafes while the husband is at work making lots of money and there’s no one home.
‘Sometimes people spend a lot of time abroad so the house is empty. The Ted Lasso thing has definitely brought unwanted attention to the area. A lot of people in the area think the same.’
She added: ‘On the day the robbery happened,I was going to the gym and was in the area. I could easily have been walking past,it’s so frightening.’
Tony Puci lives on the same street as the latest robbery and shouted at the thieves as they plundered items from the jewellery display.
He told Metro: ‘I shouted at them – I could see them from my window.
‘I could see one of the guys was white as his jeans had slipped down showing a ‘builder’s bum’.
‘The Ted Lasso thing had definitely attracted criminals. More than a year ago someone tried to burgle Ted Lasso’s flat. It’s definitely made a difference.’
An officer patrols Richmond two days after the raid (Picture: w8media)
The Metro previously reported how homeowners had beefed up security after a spate of break-ins and attempted burglaries in the area in November and December 2024.
One attempted break-in was at the property used as Hannah Waddingham’s home.
The house of Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft was also burgled with Christmas presents plundered,it was reported.
The plush shopping district has been made famous by Ted Lasso (Picture: w8media)
A homeowner in the area of the break-ins previously told Metro: ‘We were obviously suspicious and looked at our CCTV covering the area. We saw ‘shadowy figures’ trying to gain entry to a neighbour’s. They must have left the ladder because they were in a hurry to leave.’
The resident said everyone was reviewing their security following the string of raids. They are even considering bringing in a private security firm to patrol the area,as is the case in other celebrity enclaves like Hampstead in north London.
She told Metro: ‘People are now very twitchy and scared. Residents are putting in extra CCTV and alarm companies are being called on to strengthen security.’
Memorabilia is on sale for the fictional football team near the latest burglary (Picture: w8media)
Meanwhile,residents have been left ‘terrified’ by the latest jewellery raid.
Carolina McCrea,46,who works in a cafe a few doors down,said: ‘It’s very frightening,terrifying that they could do this. It’s a lovely area and we are in shock. They ran past the cafe to get away that’s the first I knew about it but now everyone is talking about it.
‘We just feel so sorry for the owners of the jewellers.’
Poppy Martin,47,said locals were still reeling from the shop (Picture: w8media)
Poppy Martin,said: ‘It’s such a shock. We all love this area and it’s very scary to think this is happening around here of all places.’
Richmond has a number of high-end jewellers and luxury watch shops.
In 2023,thieves restrained shop manager Oliver White at 247 Kettles Watch store and escaped with luxury watches,including Rolexes worth more than £1.3m. Three people were convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery while Mr White,tragically took his own life after the robbery.
Anyone with information on the raid on Gregory & Co is asked to call police on 101.
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