Masked thieves wielding hammers broke the front window of a jewellers in west London before escaping with several items, despite efforts from staff to intervene.

A widely shared video on social media captures the moment when two hooded men use a hammer to shatter the window of Gregory & Co jewellers in Richmond, then pull back the shattered glass.

As they fill a blue bag with merchandise, one employee attempts to fend them off using a small box, while another tries to grab items from the display to return them to safety inside the store. The robbers ultimately fled towards Richmond Green.

The Metropolitan Police have called for witnesses regarding the burglary, which occurred around 10:30 GMT on Saturday.

They have classified the incident as an aggravated burglary, and as of now, no arrests have been reported.

The jewellers is located in Pavel Court, a quaint pedestrian area in London’s affluent district.