A gang made off with several bags of jewellery after hitting a shop in a new Silverton shopping mall on Thursday, Pretoria police said.

Constable Sam Shibambo said one robber entered a jewellery shop at the Groove shopping mall before midday and held staff hostage. A short while later, his four accomplices entered.

"They ransacked the shop and shoved jewellery into bags and then fled," he said.

The shop's alarm was activated, police responded and recovered two bags, thought to have been dropped by the robbers as they fled. One of the bags contained jewellery and the other a firearm. - Sapa