Three men jailed over £137,000 watch robbery in London's West End

Three men were jailed for stealing a £137,000 watch from Romanian entrepreneur Catalin Botezatu in Mayfair, in London's West End.

The robbery took place on January 28 after Botezatu left a restaurant and was approached near his car.

The men surrounded him and used a sharp implement to cut the watch strap, leaving cuts on his wrists; the watch has not been recovered.

The sentences ranged from three years and six months to five years and nine months at Southwark Crown Court.

Police figures cited at the hearing recorded 97 watch robberies, including attempted thefts, from January to June, and 70 more expensive watches stolen from July to September.

A knife was seen or implied in one in five watch robberies in the six months covered by the figures.

The case highlights continued watch thefts in central London, where gangs target people wearing expensive timepieces.