Two raiders on a moped tried to smash in the door of a Chelsea pawn shop owned by a reality TV star with a sledgehammer before they were engulfed with security fog from the store’s Fog Bandit security system and confronted by local builders, witnesses said.
Dramatic footage on social media shows the pair rapidly leaving the store of Posh Pawn.
Footage of the raiders leaving the store
As they struggle to gain entry security fog billowed out of the store on Draycott Avenue which specialises in luxury watches and other luxury second hand items.
The shop is owned by James Constantinou who has a show about the pre-loved market for valuables also called Posh Pawn on Channel 4.
The attempted robbery took place at around 5pm in front of shoppers and tourists on the busy pedestrianised street.
The would be thieves were wearing balaclavas and helmets for the foiled raid and sped off on their moped before dozens of police were scrambled to the scene. No one was injured in the incident.
Mr Constantinou, who has starred in eight seasons of Posh Pawn in which his shop assesses the value of items brought in by members of the public, added:
‘We have very effective security measures including Fog Bandit which releases security fog when the shop is under threat.
Our staff reacted brilliantly and I couldn’t have asked more of them’.