Appeal after 'violent' high-value home burglary

Police are appealing for information after a group of masked men, some armed with weapons, carried out a "violent" high-value burglary at a home in Nottinghamshire.

Nottinghamshire Police said five men - one of whom was carrying a sledgehammer and another a pickaxe - smashed their way into the house on Knowle Road in Kimberley at 19:40 GMT on 4 December 2025.

After attacking a man inside, the gang made him open a safe and they then filled a sack with luxury watches. Meanwhile, the victim's wife was dragged upstairs and was forced to show the intruders where the rest of the watches were stored.

In an appeal issued on Tuesday, police said Crimestoppers had offered a £7,500 reward for information.

Watches taken include a pair of matching his and hers Audemars Piguet Royal Oak "London" editions, a platinum Rolex Platona Daytona Cosmograph and an Omega Speedmaster Snoopy - a special edition celebrating the Apollo 13 space mission.

The gang also took many of the woman's luxury designer handbags along with a mobile phone, and a purse containing bank cards.

The handbags taken included pieces from Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Chanel, Jimmy Choo, and Dior.

The most distinctive is a white Chanel Boy handbag, available only from Milan.

Police said the items taken and the damage caused to the property was worth close to £1m.

After the burglary, the gang were seen on CCTV entering woodland to the north of the property.

Through automatic number plate recognition, a grey hatchback car using false plates was spotted on the nearby A610, driving in the Nottingham area between 19:21 and 19:49 on the same evening.

Detectives said they believed the vehicle travelled out of Nottinghamshire and then went through Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Warwickshire, before entering the West Midlands region.

Det Con James Gill said: "This was a vicious and frightening incident and it's very fortunate the victims did not sustain even more serious injuries.

"We remain determined to catch those responsible and we're really grateful to Crimestoppers for putting up this reward and for their ongoing assistance - not just for this case but for all our investigations."

Lydia Patsalides, regional manager for the East Midlands area at Crimestoppers, said: "This was a shocking and violent attack on a family in their own home.

"They were confronted by five masked men, armed with weapons and prepared to use serious force to get what they wanted, leaving lasting trauma and injury behind them.

"You can tell our charity what you know about who is involved without ever giving your name or speaking to the police. Your information could help stop further violence and bring justice to this family."

The £7,500 reward is available for three months. Only information passed directly to Crimestoppers - which is an independent charity and guarantees total anonymity - will qualify.

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