Photo credit: @luxmy_g | Twitter

Incredible footage reaches us from overseas where a gang of thugs this afternoon tried to drive a car into the front window of a Rolex store in Leeds, United Kingdom.

You can see in the video that the thieves attempt to break a hole into the shop wall but ultimately fail and make their escape, all the time while onlookers are frozen, astonished at what is going on.

<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Attempted ram-raid robbery on Leeds Rolex watch shop caught on camera<a href="https://t.co/MAb7hScK16">https://t.co/MAb7hScK16</a> <a href="https://t.co/HXkjxzEAEn">pic.twitter.com/HXkjxzEAEn</a></p>— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCNews/status/965248919054815232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2018</a></blockquote>

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The events took place just after midday, with eyewitnesses describing the two cars on the pedestrianised area of the high street, just off Briggate, driving into the front of the store and then trying to smash their way into it.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">TWO cars have been involved in a ram raid at the Rolex store in Leeds city centre today<a href="https://t.co/dKBqkrYC67">https://t.co/dKBqkrYC67</a> <a href="https://t.co/43ZitdwFsC">pic.twitter.com/43ZitdwFsC</a></p>— YorkshireEveningPost (@LeedsNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeedsNews/status/965217960762724352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2018</a></blockquote>

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Commenters were quick to express their sadness at the growing crime rate in the city. This raid follows two on the Louis Vuitton store in 2017.

Ms Paula Staten’s daughter witnessed the events and described them on social media: "My daughter just rang me heartbroken. She was walking down Briggate and two cars came zooming down, absolutely frightened the living daylights out of her. The car ended up in the Rolex shop window. It’s carnage on Briggate."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Attempted <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/robbery?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#robbery</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/commercialstreet?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#commercialstreet</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/leeds?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#leeds</a> believed to be Preston’s Rolex. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yorkshirepost?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#yorkshirepost</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/news?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#news</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/leedsnews?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#leedsnews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yorkshire?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#yorkshire</a> <a href="https://t.co/aXLjil7mTU">pic.twitter.com/aXLjil7mTU</a></p>— Emily Austin (@emilyaustinLTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/emilyaustinLTU/status/965197777801302016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2018</a></blockquote>

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Police are currently standing guard outside the Rolex shop while the front window is being replaced. Staff that was called on site say no-one was hurt and nothing was taken.

Source:

https://twitter.com/BBCNews/status/965248919054815232