Thieves drilled into vault in London jewelry district heist

LONDON - Police say thieves climbed down an elevator shaft and drilled through 2 meter-thick (6-foot thick) concrete walls to raid safety deposit boxes in London's jewelry district.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Johnson of the Metropolitan Police said Thursday that the robbers forced open 70 boxes in the heist in Hatton Garden, a street that is home to many jewelry and diamond businesses.

Johnson said the thieves left the vault in a "chaotic" state. It was covered in dust and debris, the floor strewn with discarded safety deposit boxes and power tools.

Police have not put an estimate on how much was stolen from the boxes, used by many local dealers to store jewelry.

The robbery took place over the long Easter weekend and was only noticed when businesses reopened Tuesday.