Detectives investigating the Hatton Garden jewellery heist have appealed to the partners of people with specialist knowledge of industrial drills to contact them if their loved ones have been behaving differently recently.
Police, who are under fire for their handling of the investigation into the multimillion-pound theft, released CCTV images of up to six suspects who were seen entering and leaving the vault over the Easter weekend.
They also released a picture of the diamond-tipped Hilti DD350 drill used to bore a small hole through the concrete wall of the vault holding the safe deposit boxes.
In an unusual appeal, detectives asked those in relationships with people who have used the drill, which sells for £3,500, if they were away when the heist was executed, or if they have been behaving oddly since.
DS Craig Turner said: “We are keen to hear from wives or partners of anyone who has specialist knowledge or skills that use this sort of equipment. Were they away during the Easter bank holiday weekend or have they been acting oddly since the burglary was carried out?”
He made the appeal on the BBC’s Crimewatch programme on Thursday evening and showed 14 images of at least six suspects coming and going.
Detectives also announced a reward of £20,000 for information leading to the conviction of the gang.
Scotland Yard said: “We know that the thieves initially entered the building after 9pm on Thursday 2 April and left shortly after 8am on Good Friday, 3 April.
“They returned to the scene soon after 10pm on Saturday 4 April and were recorded on CCTV leaving the premises at around 6.40pm on Easter Sunday, 5 April.
“On both days Male A makes his way to the side exit of Hatton Garden Safety Deposit Ltd, where he lets the other gang members into the building.”
Police faced criticism when it was revealed that the gang was inside the building when police decided not to respond to a call reporting that its alarm had been triggered. Scotland Yard has said there were no outward signs of a break-in.
When the initial call came in reporting that the building’s alarm was sounding, police graded it as too low a priority to warrant an immediate response. An investigation into why that happened is continuing.
“It is too early to say if the handling of the call would have had an impact on the outcome of the incident,” Scotland Yard has previously said.
