The break-in aftermath at Jewelz Whakatāne. Photo / Supplied
Whakatāne jewellery thieves have evaded police after stealing from a store on The Strand in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Jewelz jewellery store was targeted by thieves, and police say a car fledthe scene at speed.
Angelia Le Sueur, owner of Jewelz, said the burglary was "surreal and raw still".
She said she received a call from her on-call security staff around 3am.
Le Sueur said it was "not what any business owner wants to hear at all."
"I was and am absolutely gutted."
She said it was too early to say for sure what had been taken, but it looked like a mixture of watches and jewellery.
Le Sueur said the police told her they had pursued the thieves, who were in a stolen vehicle, but had to stop chasing because the thieves were driving recklessly.