POLICE IN LONDON are today gathering evidence to try to nab thieves who pulled off a massive heist at a safety deposit box facility over the weekend.

Jewellery and precious gems potentially worth millions were stolen from up to 70 safety deposit boxes kept at Hatton Gardan Safety Deposit Ltd in the city’s jewellery quarter.

Today police said they were working today to identify the owners of the boxes that were forced open and are contacting them for statements.

There were no signs of forced entry at the premises and police said thieves disabled the communal left on the second floor and then used the lift shaft to climb down into the basement.

They forced the doors open and bored holes in the two metre thick walls of the vault with a heavy duty drill. Inside, they forced open up to 70 safety deposit boxes.

“The scene is chaotic. The vault is covered in dust and debris and the floor is strewn with discarded safety deposit boxes and numerous power tools, including an angle grinder, concrete drills and crowbars,” police said in a statement.

A forensic examination of the scene for evidence is ongoing. This is a painstaking process but is essential to ensure officers can gather as much evidence and opportunities to identify the thieves.

Officers are also gathering and examining CCTV to identify any possible leads. Reports have suggested there may have been some inside knowledge as it is believed the alarm was not activated on Friday. Police said this will form part of the investigation.

Read: Thieves ‘abseiled down lift shaft’ to pull off a massive jewellery heist in London>