£50m jewel thieves flee through Tamara Ecclestone's window hours after heiress posts holiday photos

Tamara Ecclestone posted a holiday picture hours before a £50million jewellery raid on her home
Dave Benett/Tamara Ecclestone
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Tamara Ecclestone posted a holiday picture of her daughter boarding a private jet on Instagram hours before a £50million jewellery raid on her home .

Detectives were investigating whether the criminals were alerted to the family’s absence by social media posts but were keeping an “open mind”.

The Formula 1 heiress, 35, posted a photograph of daughter Sophia, five, at the steps of a chartered jet as they departed on a Christmas trip to Lapland on Friday afternoon.

She told her 437,000 followers: “Pretty excited the holidays are here”.

Police were called to the family’s £70 million gated mansion in a “Billionaire’s Row” in Kensington at 11pm that evening.

Three thieves scaled a garden fence, spent 50 minutes searching the 57 rooms and escaped through an open window with Ms Ecclestone’s entire jewellery collection. It is understood they were disturbed by a security guard.

The haul included rings, earrings and an £80,000 Cartier bangle wedding gift.

The family's gated Kensington mansion

Ms Ecclestone, daughter of former F1 boss Bernie, lives at the property with her businessman husband Jay Rutland, 38, and Sophia, known as Fifi. Ms Ecclestone was said to be in “complete devastation”.

Several celebrities and footballers have fallen victim to burglaries after disclosing their movements on social media.

Neighbours today told of their shock at the heist in one of the capital’s most “secure” streets.

One said: “This area is full of security guards, armed police patrols and CCTV surveillance. It would be like a Mission Impossible.

“You can’t just walk around here without being noticed. Everything is monitored.”

Jay Rutland and Tamara Ecclestone
Dave Benett

A source told The Sun: “Whoever did this was in the house for 50 minutes in total and had time to smash open the safes. Neither would be easy to find.

"Every single piece of jewellery that she had in her safe has gone and some of them had such personal meaning.”

Miss Ecclestone continued to post photographs and video on social media throughout the weekend, including her family enjoying a sleigh ride.

A spokesman for her said: “I can sadly confirm that there has been a home invasion. Internal security are co-operating with police in this matter.

"Tamara and family are well but obviously angry and shaken by the incident.

"If anyone has information that could help in investigations then please call the police on 101 quoting reference 8786/13DEC19.”

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “Police were called to a residential property at 11.11pm on December 13 to reports of a burglary.

"It was reported that an amount of high-value jewellery had been stolen. There have been no arrests.”

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