Sledgehammer gang raid Lytham jewellers
Three masked men armed with sledgehammers have robbed a jewellers in Lancashire.
They threatened staff at Leonard Dews on Clifton Street in Lytham, rifled through display cabinets and fled with a large amount of jewellery.
The raid took place at 16:30 BST and the gang fled in a black Ford Mondeo driven by a fourth man.
Det Insp Andy Unsworth said: "Nobody was hurt but this is a serious offence which has left staff extremely shaken."
The getaway car was abandoned shortly afterwards on nearby Agnew Street and set alight.
The men are believed to have then made off in a silver Ford S-Max in the direction of Wrea Green.
This is the third time the store has been raided in four years - the two previous raids were in 2007 and last year.