TV antiques expert Ian Towning
Famed antiques dealer Ian Towning has closed his famous Chelsea jewelery store and decided to leave London after a violent armed robbery left him traumatised.Towning, 78, known for his appearances on TV shows including Dickinson’s Real Deal and Posh Pawn, said he had never fully recovered from the brutal raid on his store in March 2024, during which he was hit over the head with a hammer.
The violent raid left the merchant psychologically traumatized
Towning and his security guard, Mark Simmons, were attacked when armed robbers broke into his jewelery store in Chelsea carrying hammers, including a sledgehammer.Surveillance camera footage from the incident showed the attackers entering the building before one of them hit the antiques expert in the head and dropped him to the ground.The gang escaped with hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of jewellery, while both Towning and Simmons were injured during the raid.Speaking about the aftermath, Towning said the attack left him suffering flashbacks, emotional distress and sleepless nights.“I am now about 80 years old and it is difficult to recover from such a shock,” he said, adding that the accident had a negative impact on his health and well-being.
The convictions came months later
In November 2024, James Dixon, 42, and Thomas Loring, 41, were convicted of a series of violent robberies and robberies committed in and around London, including the attack on a Towning store.
The raid also resulted in additional security costs for the company, which Towning had run from Chelsea since 1997.
The end of the era of the antiques trade in Chelsea
The closure marks the end of a decades-long association with the London antiques trade. Towning has been a familiar figure on the Chelsea antiques scene since the 1970s and built his reputation as a respected expert on jewelery and antiques through his television appearances.Reflecting on the decision, he said he always expected to continue working at the store for the rest of his career, but ultimately felt unable to move past the shock of the attack.The 2024 robbery was the second major violent incident at the store. In 2008, Towning was left covered in blood after confronting another gang who reportedly arrived armed with sledgehammers and a shotgun.
Criticism of the crime situation in London
According to the Daily Mail, Towning blamed London Mayor Sadiq Khan for failing to tackle rising crime in the capital, describing the situation as deeply worrying and claiming residents and customers were becoming increasingly fearful of thefts and burglaries.“I think Sadiq Khan has been a disaster for London,” Towning told the Daily Mail. He added: “All he cares about is bike lanes, and when someone gets stabbed and killed, he wants to donate money to more youth clubs. It’s a scandal. It’s a joke.”The antiques dealer told the newspaper that concerns about safety and the impact of frequent criminal incidents contributed to his decision to close the business and leave London.