Hatton Garden raid has 'ruined lives and livelihoods'

"We are dealing here with mainly small businesses and they are not making huge profits," said Mr Marchant, from Marchant and Marchant Limited.

"These aren't extremely wealthy people, for a lot of them their livelihoods have gone. "All of us might be forgiven for thinking 'How audacious, how clever' - but what [the gang has] done is ruin the lives of many people within the Hatton Garden jewellery quarter."  In total, 72 safe deposit boxes were opened and the contents of 56 boxes were taken in the raid over the Easter weekend, at the start of April. Jewellery, watches and other valuables were removed from the premises in wheelie bins and bags by the burglars.

A £20,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the gang, but no arrests have yet been made.

"I have been told by individuals I have interviewed that they have had friends and colleagues who work in the quarter with them, grown men, hardened dealers - [they] don't know what to do because of course some haven't insured at all," Mr Marchant said. "Their view was 'It is in a safety deposit box - the key word is safety - it should be ok' - and of course they have lost everything." Mr Marchant said for those who were not insured, the chances of recovering their sums were "pretty remote".

Read More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-32619883