This is the instance when a duo, often compared to ‘Bonnie & Clyde’ from Eastern Europe, allegedly carried out at least three significant thefts in the past month. They managed to divert a store employee’s attention while pilfering money and valuables from a jewelry store.

Footage obtained by the Daily Mail reveals the duo cleverly distracting a staff member as they pretended to count cash for a gold purchase. During this, they stealthily took £800 worth of goods, with the man slyly tucking them behind him before slipping them into his pocket.

The pair also employed distraction and sleight of hand tactics to escape with a £5,000 Rolex watch and £1,000 in silver from a display cabinet in a heist on July 19.

As a result of the theft, owner Jon White was forced to close down the business – which has appeared on TV’s Antiques Road Trip six times.

He told the Daily Mail: ‘As a direct result of this crime the antique shop has closed and will remain closed for the immediate future.

‘The staff member they targeted blamed herself. She felt it was her fault but of course it wasn’t but she lost all confidence and resigned.

‘Right now, it simply isn’t viable to recruit and train new people while also juggling everything else that life, and business, is throwing at me.

‘After their pictures were circulated, I was inundated with phone calls from various businesses across the UK who recognised the couple.

‘They are very, very clever. I pulled footage from multiple cameras to work out what they were doing.

‘I’m an ex-close up magician and know the tricks to look out for but most people wouldn’t.’

Now the Daily Mail can reveal the pair are Romanian nationals who have allegedly used the same distraction techniques to steal tens of thousands of pounds of cash, watches and jewellery from at least three other retailers across the UK in recent weeks.

Both are understood to have been arrested in connection with shoplifting and are currently on police bail.

CCTV from shops in Lavenham, Suffolk and Guildford, Surrey from the last month appears to show the same couple as caught on CCTV in Royal Wootton Bassett.

Cops investigating the incident at an antiques shop in Lavenham confirmed they are working with other forces to track down the couple.

A spokesman said: ‘Police received a report of an incident of theft that took place on 20 July at some point between 1pm and 2pm at a business on the High Street in Lavenham. Two individuals selected and concealed jewellery then left the store making no attempt to pay for these goods after being challenged by staff. Enquires are on-going with other forces.’

Following the Wootton Bassett theft, a Wiltshire Police spokesman said: ‘We have been investigating after a quantity of silver and gold was stolen from an antiques store in Royal Wootton Bassett.

‘While distracting the staff, the suspects have stolen a number of silver items from a cabinet.

‘They have then gone to purchase gold from the store. While cash for the purchase was being counted, the suspects have again worked together to distract the staff to retain some of the cash that was originally handed over.

‘They have then left the store with the silver, gold and some of the cash handed over.

‘We are releasing two images of people we would like to speak with in connection with this incident.’If you recognise them, please contact us on 101 quoting reference 54250095795.’

And in a remarkably similar incident a couple last week swiped £5,000-worth of gold bracelets from a jeweller in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

CCTV shows the moment a woman wearing a traditional head dress to disguise her identity blocks a member of staff’s view as they were helping other customers while her male accomplice grabs valuable bangles from an unlocked cabinet at Zeb Jewellers.

A jewellery industry source said both raids may be linked to the same Eastern European gang hitting shops across the UK.

The source who works closely with police to investigate jewellery thefts told us: ‘They are known to be part of a much larger organised crime group which is making a huge amount of money from these crimes.’

 

After discovering the theft in Bradford, shop owner Zeb Ahmed shared CCTV on the shop’s TikTok account and was inundated with messages linking them to carbon copy thefts across the country.

Following the theft in Bradford on August 19, Mr Ahmed told the Daily Mail: ‘They were in and out within three minutes, they came in dressed like decent people and we buzzed them in.

‘They were looking around and I was busy dealing with a customer. The lady was leaning on the counter blocking my view and the guy reached over and took the bangles out and put them in his pocket.

‘Then he said ‘you’re busy, I’ll come back later’ so I said ok and opened the door for them.

‘It was about 10 minutes later that I checked and saw the jewellery wasn’t there, so I thought I might’ve misplaced it. I searched everywhere but it was only when I checked my cameras that I saw this.

‘They are professionals, they went to another shop in Bradford half an hour after my shop.’

Mr Ahmed said the pair drove off in a gold-coloured 2010 Audi. A jeweller in nearby Huddersfield is also understood to have been targeted that same day.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: ‘Police received a report of theft of three gold bangles from a jewellery shop on Heaton Road, Manningham, Bradford, said to have taken place at 12:45pm on Tuesday 19th August.

‘The alleged theft appears to be the latest involving the couple. Last month Old Bank Antiques in Royal Wootton Bassett was also targeted by a distraction theft with gold, silver and cash taken.’