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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Kevin Rawlinson

Partner pays tribute to watch dealer found dead after London robbery

Dredge and White posing for a holiday photo at a pool bar against a beach and distant city backdrop
Alana Dredge and Oliver White in the photo Dredge posted to her Instagram account after White’s death. Photograph: lovelocks_x

The partner of a watch dealer who was found dead the day after he was the victim of a robbery in south-west London has paid tribute to him, saying she loved him more than she could express in words.

The man, reported to be Oliver White, died hours after being put in a chokehold during the raid. Police have said they are not treating the death as suspicious.

“My darling boy I can’t believe you’re gone,” his partner, Alana Dredge, wrote online on Monday.

In a message addressed to her partner, she said: “The last thing you said to me was I love you. I will cherish you forever, being with you was the best six years of my life. I hope you are reading this from up there, I will continue to make you proud.

She said she kept sending White messages “hoping this is all a nightmare and you’ll reply”. She added: “I don’t know how I’ll do life without you, my whole world has ended. My life will never be the same again I can’t explain how much I love you.

“I will never stop loving you – I’m so numb I can’t cry any more. I have never felt pain like this, you were the only person that could give me comfort like no other and make all my pain go away. Now you’re not here I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Police said two unarmed men stole several high-value watches from the shop in south-west London on Saturday. Scotland Yard said the victim of the robbery was found dead about 10 miles (16km) away – in the Surrey town of Shepperton – on Sunday.

Surrey police said officers were called to a location in Shepperton shortly after 8.15pm on Sunday after a report of a concern for safety. “A man in his 20s was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin are aware and are being supported. Inquiries are still ongoing, but his death is not thought to be suspicious.”

On Saturday, Scotland Yard released images of two men they wish to locate after the robbery and said the staff member had not been seriously injured. In the images, one man wears a grey hoodie while the other wears a black and white T-shirt with sunglasses on his head. Police said on Tuesday that no arrests had been made.

The force asked anyone with information to call 101, quoting incident number CAD4555/25May, or to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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