Goodwill for Smethwick jewellers after robbery
A jeweller who confronted masked robbers who smashed their way into his shop has been left overwhelmed by support from the community following the terrifying raid.
Men wearing balaclavas battered their way through the front security door at Davand Jewellery, in Bearwood Road, Smethwick,
Glass counters were smashed and 17 trays of gold jewellery, worth tens of thousands of pounds, was taken in the raid.
Store owner David Nicholls said residents and businesses from the community had been "absolutely golden" in the aftermath of the robbery. He and his wife, Linda, received 40 bunches of flowers in the days following the raid from concerned residents.
Customers also dropped in to see the couple with boxes of chocolates and also purchased items to help the couple get back on their feet following the raid. Business leaders from the town have also visited the shop to offer their support over the festive period.
A new security door and reinforced counters have now been installed at the store costing thousands of pounds to put in place. Mr Nicholls, who was hit on the head with the sledgehammer when he confronted the robbers, said he and his wife had been "blown away" by the support received.
"One lady gave us an envelope which we thought contained a Christmas card. She left the shop quite quickly and when we opened the envelope later there was £50 inside," he said.
"I tried to track her down as we could not accept such a gift but was unable to. We plan to give the money to charity. This just shows the level of support we have received from both residents and businesses in the community.
"We have always lived by the motto that some good comes from every situation and that has certainly been the case here. People have been coming in and asking us how we are doing. It has been wonderful," he said.
No arrests have been made over the raid.
