A motorbike has crashed into a shop after a suspected robbery on a high street jewellers.

The incident happened at around 12.20pm today where witnesses reported there were four armed men on three mopeds ramming into the door of Coleby's Jewellers.

Police and forensics team are still at the site conducting investigations and interviewing witnesses. Two of the bikes were still at the scene. Blood was also found on the window and door of the shop.

A staff member of the shop told the Echo: "It was very shocking and we are still shaken by what happened. But thankfully everyone is OK.

"Nothing was taken. There were four people, and I believe there were three motorbikes, who tried to rob us.

"One bike tried ramming into the shop door then the shop's shutters went down. And because the glass is tough it fell on top of the person.

"They were all armed with hammers too. When they couldn't get through the door, they sped off."

The front window of LJR Hair and Beauty, which is next to the jewellers, was also badly smashed during the suspected robbery.

A staff member, who asked not to be named, said: "We were shaken because our front window has been put in.

"We are very shocked because we didn't expect this to happen in Billericay. It's absolutely outrageous.

"Police are still outside as we speak, and the forensics team too."

Joanne Ellis, 52, owner of Forbidden Ink, which is above the jewellers, said: "The noise got us, we heard some loud banging and felt the vibrations.

"There was what looked like three young men carrying hammers. From what I could gather the van that was parked up with the smashed windows was trying to block them from getting away.

"They came running round the corner and all three of them were trying to get on back of one scooter, the one at the back kept falling off.

"He just threw the hammer in the road."

Another witness, James Bishop, 50, of Marlborough Way, Billericay, said: "When I got to the High Street the police were investigating what had happened. 

"I spoke to a couple of people and they said when the bike crashed into the door it must have activated the security system so the shutters went down.

"We were totally shocked that this has happened to Billericay, it just shows how desperate thieves have become because this happened in broad daylight."