TODAY marks one year since 11 masked men smashed their way into an Oxford jewellers in one of the biggest ever heists in the city.

Last New Year’s Eve, thousands of pounds worth of watches were snatched during a raid on Goldsmith’s Jewellers in the Clarendon Centre.

And despite a major police investigation and CCTV showing the burglars sledge-hammering their way into the shopping centre from Cornmarket Street, no arrests have been made and detectives still have no idea where the men are 12 months on.

CCTV of the heist 

Dorian Hancock, a former chairman of the Oxford association of neighbourhood watch, said he was amazed that none of the criminals had been caught.

He added: “It must be worrying for the people wondering why, with the resources and the release of the CCTV footage, that nothing more substantial has happened.

“I cannot think we had a heist as big as this in Oxford before. It seemed that it was done with military precision.

“I’m amazed that the thieves have been able to do what they did and get away with it.

“It’s not for the police not wanting to get a result. The police are very good, but I’m surprised.”

In August, the Oxford Mail was told the clues needed to crack the case could lie in mainland Europe.

But last night, both Thames Valley Police and West Midlands Police, the force now in charge of the investigation, did not respond to the Oxford Mail’s questions.

TVP said previously it was no longer leading the case due to other similar raids across the UK. But the police do not know where the burglars are from and have not recovered the watches – understood to be worth thousands of pounds. CCTV footage of the raid was released in January, which showed the watches being snatched from the jewellers.

Described as one of the most sophisticated break-ins to have taken place in Oxford, the gang fixed steel wires to prevent vehicle access at the ends of Queen Street and shielded their faces from security cameras with umbrellas.

At about 3.45am, seven men wearing high-visibility jackets and one man pulling a green wheelie bin, congregated at Market Street, just off Cornmarket Street, opposite the Clarendon Centre.

Four other men went in pairs to opposite ends of Queen Street, and fixed the steel wires across the road.

The group of seven then ran into Cornmarket Street smashed into the centre.

Once inside, they forced the shutters on Goldsmiths Jewellers and stole watches.

The seven men then left through the rear entrance of the centre in New Inn Hall Street and made off on foot down St Ebbe’s Street, leaving a sledgehammer behind.

Mr Hancock said he thought the police could have been ‘more transparent’ in their investigation to track down the burglars.

A spokeswoman for the Clarendon Centre previously said the burglary was ‘clearly executed by a highly organised gang’.