Dozens of motorists and pedestrians were today being quizzed by detectives hunting armed robbers behind a £230,000 designer watch heist.

Exactly one week on since a gang of axe-wielding raiders smashed into Glasgow's upmarket jewellery district, police returned to the scene where a suspected getaway car was dumped.

Uniform and plain-clothed officers were stopping and interviewing motorists and pedestrians in Townhead on Wednesday afternoon in a bid to glean vital clues.

The four balaclava-clad men, armed with sledgehammers and axes, took just 54 seconds to smash open window display cases at Argyll Arcade and escape with the haul of top-of-the-range watches.

Stunned shoppers watched in terror as the armed thugs staged a brazen raid on jewellery shops in Buchanan Street last Wednesday lunchtime.

Today officers were stopping over motorists and stopping pedestrians in the Castle Street area, near Glasgow Royal Infirmary, where the gang's white Volkswagen Golf was abandoned.

During the major operation, police revealed the car had been stolen from outside a house in Haddington, East Lothian just hours before the raid.

After dumping their getaway car, it is thought the gang headed towards Edinburgh in a Vauxhall Combo van.

Detective Inspector Alasdair Barlow, said: "We now know that the men involved had access to a white Volkswagen Golf hatchback which they used to get away from the scene of the crime.

"Witness reports say that they drove at excessive speed from Queen Street, up Ingram Street and up to High Street, often driving on the wrong side of the road.

"However, we also know that they had access to a Vauxhall Combo van.

"It is known at this time that they abandoned the Volkswagen in Castle Street shortly after the robbery and then left in the Vauxhall van, which was last seen driving onto the M8 towards Edinburgh.

"I would like to speak to anyone in the Haddington area who may have seen a white Volkswagen Golf being driven in the area prior to the robbery.

"Similarly, I'd like to speak to anyone who may have seen a Vauxhall Combo or the Volkswagen being driven in the Glasgow area just prior to the robbery and just after."

The gang's getaway was captured on video by stunned shoppers who were told that they would be killed unless they moved.

One thug was heard to shout, in an East coast accent: "Out the way or I will kill you all."

They smashed its way into four jewellers' shops - Rox, Mappin and Webb, Laing the Jeweller and Lewis Grant - at around 1pm on Wednesday.

However, they escaped only with designer watches from Rox.

Mr Barlow added: "Our enquiries are progressing well and we've had a very good response from the public, including vital mobile phone footage and excellent CCTV from businesses and public space.

Police also revealed one stolen timepiece - a Hublot Big Bang Rose Gold automatic watch - is worth £23,000.

Eighteen watches worth £198,001 in total were stolen, while three worth a total of £31,600 were damaged.

Anyone with information is asked to contact 101.

rebecca.gray@eveningtimes.co.uk