Armed robbers steal millions of pounds of jewellery in brazen daylight raid on Harry Winston in Paris - the store made famous by Marilyn Monroe

Gang struck famous store near Champs-Elysees just before midday 

Armed robbers stole millions of pounds-worth of jewellery during a brazen heist at the world-famous Harry Winston store in Paris today.

The gang struck just before midday on Saturday in broad daylight, causing panic around the Avenue Montaigne, just off the Champs-Élysées.

'Up to four men arrived on motorbikes,' said an investigating source. 'Two cars then appeared to stage a collision outside, presumably as a diversion.

'It was then that the men who arrived on motorbikes rushed into the store, and began breaking reinforced glass displays.

'All were wearing crash helmets to hide their identities. One shot was fired in the air to scare onlookers, but nobody was wounded.

The world famous Harry Winston store in Paris was struck by a gang of armed robbers today

The robbers got away with what is thought to be millions of pounds worth of jewellery

'The gang got away with jewellery believed to be worth millions, and everything is being done to find them.'

They abandoned the cars, and left on at least two large motorbikes, said the source.

Paris prosecutors confirmed they had opened a criminal enquiry into the crime, which took place in broad daylight and on the busiest shopping day of the week.

In 2015, eight men were imprisoned over a double heist on the same store that netted jewellery including luxury watches worth some £65million.

Sentences ranged from nine months to the 15-years given to the alleged mastermind, who had pretended to be a builder during the first heist in October 2007.

The store remains a magnet for the super rich and famous, and first became a household name after Marilyn Monroe sung about it in 1953

A year later, four robbers again entered Harry Winston, with three of them this time wearing women's clothing and wigs.

In March 2011, police found some £15million worth of jewellery from the 2008 heist stuffed down a drain in St-Denis, to the north of Paris.

Despite this, the Harry Winston store in Paris remains a magnet for the superrich around the world, from film stars to Royalty.

It first became a household name after Marilyn Monroe sung about it in 1953, in the song 'Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend', during the film, 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'.

Showing off a list of top jewellers, Monroe sang: 'Talk to me, Harry Winston, tell me all about it!'