Oxford jewellers robber restrained by public dies
A man has died after he was restrained by members of the public as he attempted to rob a jeweller's store, police have said.
Two men targeted John Gowing Jewellers in the Covered Market, Oxford, in an attempted robbery on Saturday.
One of the men, Clint Townsend, 33, from Headington, Oxford, was restrained. He was taken to hospital where he died on Sunday.
Two men, aged 31 and 32, have been arrested on suspicion of robbery.
They were later released on bail.
A Thames Valley Police spokesman said two men wearing motorcycle helmets raided the shop at 09:15 GMT.
The second man managed to flee.
Det Supt Chris Ward, who is leading the investigation, said: "We know that the offenders arrived at the Covered Market on a motorcycle and then one of the men pushed the bike as they walked towards the jewellers.
'Boarded a bus'
"This motorcycle is a green Kawasaki ZX600, registration S618 UCL, and was stolen from an address in Botley Road at around 11:00 GMT on 27 March."
He added: "At this stage we believe that members of the public restrained one of the offenders, while the other ran away, leaving the Covered Market via Turl Street.
"As the man ran away, he discarded his helmet and some clothing we have subsequently recovered in Blue Boar Street."
He said it appeared the man then boarded a bus in the city centre and then got off in the area of St Clements.
Shopkeepers have described how they saw paramedics attempting to resuscitate a man as he was taken by stretcher to the ambulance.
South Central Ambulance Service said staff treated a man at the scene for a cardiac arrest and continued "life saving treatment" en route to John Radcliffe Hospital, in Oxford.
A post-mortem examination is set to be carried out to establish a cause of death.
It is believed that nothing was stolen in the raid.