Burglars have broken into a vault in Hatton Garden, London's historic jewellery district, stealing diamonds, watches and family heirlooms from safe deposit boxes. The raid, which went unnoticed over the weekend, has shocked the tightly-knit community of traders.
Hatton Garden has been the centre of the UK's diamond trade since the late 19th century, when De Beers began selling South African stones through London. The area, covering roughly a tenth of a square mile in Holborn, houses 300 shops and companies including dealers, suppliers and craftsmen.
Joanna Hardy, a jewellery expert who worked in Hatton Garden for over 20 years, describes the trade as "built on trust." She says the high value of goods makes it a closed community, with many businesses passed down through generations. "When something like this happens, it shocks everybody," she added.
Former Metropolitan Police detective Peter Kirkham notes that security varies widely among premises. "From my experience, this trade can actually be very complacent and think it just won't happen to them," he said. He warned that thieves often trigger alarms, wait for a false alarm response, then strike.
Kirkham also doubts that stolen items will be recovered. "Jewellery is notorious for disappearing completely. It's broken up, recut and sold on the black market," he explained. The raid has added to the mystique of a district known for secret passages and high-security workshops, but also highlights its vulnerabilities.
