POLICE desperate for leads have turned to television to help catch robbers who raided a jewellery store in Crewe last year.

A group of five balaclava-wearing men, armed with sledgehammers, smashed their way into CH Moody's in High Street and escaped with a haul of over £100,000 in watches and jewellery on November 30.

But detectives last week admitted they had no information to trace the robbers, who escaped in a silver Subaru Impreza.

Traffic and pedestrians were brought to a halt for the filming of a reconstruction of the incident last Thursday, with CID officers playing the roles of the criminals.

It will be screened next month on Granada Television's Crime File programme, which will also feature the armed robbery at the Yorkshire Bank in Victoria Street which took place earlier this month.

Detective Sergeant Alan Segrott, of Crewe CID, said: "We have received absolutely no information at all on the jewellery raid. None of the property has turned up and we haven't been able to trace the vehicle.

"That's why we are using Crime File to appeal to the public. It will actually show the footage from the closed circuit television cameras and hopefully we will get an identification of the men.

"We really need to get this job sorted especially as it's the second time it has happened, with another robbery in August 1997."

All five men wore dark three-quarter length jackets, dark trousers or tracksuit bottoms and trainers during the 4.40pm raid.

The two men who carried sledgehammers were described as 5ft 10ins to 6ft tall and of stocky build.

Police would also like to hear from anyone with information about the bank raid, which took place at 11.40am on February 5.

The casual robber, who struck at the same branch last year, is a white male, aged 40-50, of large build, 5ft 8-10ins tall with brown hair, and was wearing a dark baseball cap, green anorak, light coloured trousers and brown shoes, carrying a blue shopping bag.

Anyone with information on either case should contact Crewe Police on 01270 500222.

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