Jeweller Ross Byers cleaning up after his Devon Street store was broken into in the early hours of the morning. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
A New Plymouth jeweller is shaken after a burglary at his Devon Street store in the early hours of the morning.
Ross Byers - who has owned Byers Jewellers since 1976 - said someone used a car jack to get into the central city store.
"At about a quarter to four this morning someone broke the front door down and smashed up the cabinets. Took a bit of jewellery and that and caused havoc."
Byers said they made off with a some watches and a few bracelets.
Visibly shaken, he had spent the day sweeping up glass and organising for his door to be repaired.
"You've just got to take it you know what I mean. I'm not happy about it, of course, whatsoever but what can I do?"
The expert watchmaker said police were quickly on the scene and had been excellent to deal with.
Repairs are underway after a break-in and burglary at Byers Jewellers in New Plymouth. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
Police said they were alerted to the burglary at 3.55am.
"The offenders fled in a stolen vehicle which was later recovered on Breakwater Road," they said.
Police said they would like to hear from any homeowners or businesses in the Devon Street East or Breakwater Road areas who had CCTV and may have filmed the offenders.
In May, New Plymouth shoppers were left in shock by a brazen robbery of Michael Hill Jewellers store not more than 100m away from Thursday's burglary.
In that incident, hooded and masked robbers brandishing hammers smashed jewellery cabinets and grabbed items before leaving the scene in a car that had driven up on the footpath scattering lunchtime shoppers.
