A JEWELLERY shop director has described the moment an armed robber waved a gun at her and shouted ‘get down’.

Helen Molloy was at Forum Jewellers in Broadstone when a gang of masked raiders smashed open cabinets and fled with thousands of pounds worth of watches and jewellery in a getaway car.

She said she was working in the back office ‘on a normal day in quiet Broadstone’ when she heard a ‘kerfuffle’.

“The next minute there’s a guy stood there with a gun telling us all ‘don’t move’ and to ‘get down on the floor’, which we did,” she said.

“He was going around pointing and saying ‘get on the floor’ so we just did what he said.”

Four staff, including Helen got down on the floor and two other workers were in the front of the shop.

Another two robbers had entered with sledgehammers and a fourth hooded man stood against the automatic doors.

“All we could hear was smashing glass,” Helen added.

“The two men with sledgehammers smashed three cabinets.

“The guy in the door must have had a stopwatch and was shouting ‘30 seconds, 20 seconds’ and then ‘let’s go’.

“Then they disappeared as quickly as they came and I’m just so glad no members of the public got involved as it was really busy outside.”

The four hooded thieves had scarves covering their faces and the words ‘window cleaner’ printed on their tops.

Among the items they stole were two shelves of Citizen watches, averaging around £200 each.

They also took Thomas Sabo jewellery and some diamond rings.

No items belonging to customers were taken.

Detectives are looking at the involvement of an unmasked woman who walked into the shop ahead of the robbers on the morning of Tuesday, September 11.

Helen said: “She walked in the door and dropped her mobile phone.

“She bent down to pick it up and took a step back outside.

“That must have been a sign to say the shop’s empty.”

The woman had mousy hair styled in a bob and was wearing high heels and a pencil skirt.

She was holding a large handbag and is believed to have left the shop on The Broadway with the robbers in a dark blue Chrysler Voyager car.

The Chrysler was dumped in Lytham Road and the robbers ran up a track and left Wallace Road in a light blue coloured car, next seen heading towards the Darby’s Corner roundabout.

Wonderful support

HELEN Molloy of Forum Jewellers thanked her staff and the Broadstone community for their support.

Workers have been inundated with flowers and chocolates, pictured above, since they bravely re-opened the afternoon after the raid.

Helen said: “We would like say a big ‘thank you’.

“We are really touched by all the good wishes and gifts and it really helps to know people are so supportive of us.

“And we are really proud of the team for pulling together so well and working so hard to get us back open again.

“Broadstone is a lovely community.”

Paul Slade, owner of Molly’s cafe, said: “You generally think Broadstone’s a pretty safe place and in 10 years here we’ve never seen anything like that.”

Broadstone councillor Mike Brooke said the robbery was a shock to the community.

He said: “It’s a very nice shop and the people there are excellent.

“They are very community-minded.

“It was a horrendous ordeal which no one should have to go through and they have the community’s support.”