Four men armed with a sledge hammer and baseball bat who raided a Seven Kings jewellers are still on the run, after allegedly escaping through a fence.

A bystander described one of the men wearing a grey suit with a balaclava and the other three men wearing hoodies.

The men reportedly crossed the road after robbing Asha jewellers in High Road, and went through a gap in the fence along the railway line near Seven Kings station.

Carol Vaubeau, 53, of Beddington Road, Seven Kings was having her hair cut at the UK Salon Group, High Road, Seven Kings when she claims a woman in her mid 40s ran in to the salon and said the jewellers had been robbed.

Mrs Vaubeau said: “She came in and said one of the youths had threatened her and I tried to calm her down. While she was here they were still in the jewellers.”

The men then crossed the street and escaped through the fence.

Mrs Veaubeau said: “I was concerned for her but I didn’t know what was going on. She clearly felt threatened but I wasn’t afraid.”

The 999 call was placed by Annette Heathman, 47, manager of the UK Salon Group hairdresser at around 11.35am.

The entire shop floor of the jewellers was covered in smashed glass.

Mrs Healthman said: “The people who own the jewellers are lovely and I have known them for years. This used to be a nice area but I’m not surprised this happened.”

According to police at the scene jewellery was stolen from the shop.

At around 11.40am, minutes after the raid, there were three police cars and a police van with other units searching the area for the alleged robbers.