Jewellery shop owner confronted with masked, armed men says attempted robbery was ‘unreal’
Oliver & J in Beccles. PHOTO: Nick Butcher - Credit: Nick Butcher
The owner of a Beccles jewellery shop which was the scene of an attempted armed robbery has described the incident as “unreal”.
Renee Kathuria at the opening of her jewellery shop. PHOTO: Nick Butcher - Credit: Nick Butcher
The owner of a Beccles jewellery shop which was the scene of an attempted armed robbery has described the incident as “unreal”.
Renee Kathuria was in Oliver and J Jewellery in Blyburgate, Beccles at around 4.30pm on Tuesday, when two men entered the shop armed with a knife.
The men, who had their faces covered, then threatened Mrs Kathuria and a colleague before fleeing the scene empty handed.
The police were called shortly afterwards.
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Following the incident Mrs Kathuria, a retired GP who opened the shop last year - realising a life long dream - said the events of the afternoon had not quite sunk in yet.
She said: “It feels slightly unreal at the moment.
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“It had been a very good day and it was rather a shock when they came in, it happened so quickly and was very shocking.”
Mrs Kathuria said both her and her colleague, who was in the store with her at the time, had both kept a cool head during the incident.
“She was great, she handled the whole situation very well but she is rather shocked as well,” she said.
“It’s such a unnecessary thing to do but then I guess people don’t do these things for necessary reasons.”
Mrs Kathuria, who is an independent town councillor for centre ward, said due to the nature of the business it was a very secure shop. She said: “We have to be aware of security, most people are obviously excellent it’s just a one off.
“We have reinforced glass, and everything is closed down and locked down, we’re very secure, at the end of the day you have to be careful.
“The police said the CCTV footage was very good, so we are very optimistic that they might be able to identify [the men].”
Stephanie Bubb, a fellow Beccles town councillor, said the attempted robbery was not the sort of thing that normally happens in the town.
She said: “It’s absolutely horrifying, I just cannot believe it, I hope they catch whoever did it.”
Mrs Kathuria said the store would be open for business as usual on Wednesday.
Anyone with any information about the robbery is being asked to contact Suffolk police on 101 quoting CAD 294.
