APCOM

It could be a movie plot, but it's real: a gang of thieves dressed up as policemen came through an underground tunnel into the showroom of jewellery firm Damiani, in Milano's fashion district, and managed to run away with many valuable pieces. The heist was compared yesterday with the "perfect robberies" in films such as Ocean's Eleven and The Italian Job.

"Im sure police will catch them" said Guido Damiani, President and Ceo of the firm. "The important thing is that our co-worker in Damiani showroom are fine and that robbers were not violent".

Pretending to be Italian financial police who wanted to examine the accounts, the robbers got into the showroom unarmed. In what witnesses described as southern Italian accents, they ordered those present to surrender and bound and gagged them.

Damiani said all of the pieces stolen were insured, and that some of the most important pieces were at the Oscars. In fact, the Damiani products are the star's favourite jewels: for example Oscar winner Tilda Swinton, while receiving the Academy for best supporting actress, showed off a Damiani "Sahara" bracelet.

A full list of the jewellery that was taken is still being compiled, but it is thought to be millions of euros worth of gold earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings, all of them adorned with precious stones and diamonds.