A GANG of axe-wielding thieves may not be able to flog their £250,000 haul of loot because it's "too hot", police said today.

The four balaclava-clad robbers made off with a haul of designer watches after raiding jewellers in the Glasgow's Argyll Arcade.

But the gang - who remain at large following the brazen daylight heist - will struggle to sell on the high-end timepieces.

It is understood some of the stolen watches are worth around £30,000 each and, unless they were stolen to ­order, the thieves will have trouble offloading them any time soon.

Chief Inspector Mark Sutherland said a team of officers were working to trace the culprits.

As reported by the Evening Times, shoppers fled in terror as the armed thugs - dressed in tracksuits and balaclavas - used sledgehammers and axes to smash shop windows in the Arcade.

They held up Rox, Mappin and Webb, ­Laing the Jeweller and Lewis Grant - at around 1pm on Wednesday - ­before escaping in a getaway car.

Rox was the only store to have items, including Hublot and Bell & Ross watches, stolen.

Bosses at Rox have now hired a security guard to give staff "extra piece of mind".

Mr Sutherland said: "I would encourage anyone who knows anything about the incident to contact police."

rebecca.gray@ eveningtimes.co.uk