Moment jewellers with customers inside is ram raided by 4×4 – before baseball-wielding owner sends masked gang fleeing empty-handed
A gang of masked men rammed a 4×4 into a jewellery shop in Bradford while customers were still inside, but fled empty-handed after the owner's son fought them off with a hammer and baseball bat. The attack on Pakistan Jewellers, at the junction of Duckworth Lane and Toller Lane, highlights the growing brazenness of ram-raid robberies carried out in broad daylight with bystanders present, and the risks taken by shopkeepers who confront armed intruders.
CCTV showed the vehicle reversing into the shopfront twice at around 1.20pm on Saturday, bringing down metal security bars and sending debris towards three terrified customers, including a couple sheltering in a corner. Seven masked men, some armed with swords and a machete, then attempted to enter with empty bags, but 20-year-old Mohammad Ali Ilyas struck one with a hammer and chased the group off with a bat, smashing a getaway car's window as they fled. No one was injured during the roughly 35-second raid, nothing was stolen, and the family-run store, in business since 2009, is expected to stay closed for repairs for at least two weeks.
In short
- Gang rams 4×4 into Bradford jewellers with customers inside
- Owner's son fights off armed, masked robbers with bat and hammer
- No injuries, nothing stolen; shop shut for repairs for two weeks
Explained simply
Ram raids involve using a vehicle to smash through a shopfront, often to reach goods quickly. Jewellery shops can be targets because their stock is valuable and easy to carry, while security shutters and bars may slow intruders but can be damaged by a vehicle.
Pakistan Jewellers is a family-run shop in Bradford, and its staff and customers were inside during the reported attack. The incident raises questions about the risks faced by people caught up in such robberies, including shop workers who try to protect themselves and others.
These attacks can leave businesses closed for repairs even when nothing is taken. Their impact also extends to customers and people nearby who may be put in danger.