UK police report robbery of safety boxes in jewelry district

LONDON (AP) – London police say heavy cutting equipment has been used to break into a vault containing safety deposit boxes in the Hatton Garden jewelry district.

Police said Tuesday that a number of safe deposit boxes were broken into.

They said the burglary was reported Tuesday morning when jewelers opened for business. It is believed the boxes were broken into during the long Easter holiday weekend.

It was not clear how many items had gone missing or how much they were worth. Detectives wearing special forensic clothing were searching the scene and looking for clues. Some were seen leaving the site carrying evidence bags.

There were no signs of forced entry visible from the exterior of the building.

Hatton Garden is home to London’s diamond trade and to other types of gem specialists. It is believed that many jewelers stored diamonds and gold in the boxes during the holiday weekend.

The jewelry district has been hit by other noted burglaries in the past. In 1987, two armed robbers made off with an estimated 60 million pounds ($90 million) worth of jewels.