A shop assistant found dead a day after being robbed at a London jewellers “should never have been alone”, the store owners have said.

Oliver White, 27, was put in a chokehold as two men stole stock from 247 Kettles in Richmond on Saturday.

He was found dead at his home in Shepperton, Surrey, in non-suspicious circumstances the following day.

In a social media post, the company said the robbers spent three days pretending to be clients before the attack.

247 Kettles said Mr White “worked around the clock and after hours to ensure customers were satisfied”.

It said he “should never have been alone in the office on Saturday and that amount of watches should’ve never been on display”.

The owners said they believed the robbers had waited for “a vulnerability and the correct time to strike”.

“Strict security procedures to prevent such circumstances” were in place, but “through no fault of anyone’s” they were not followed, the firm added.

The company said panic buttons, alarms, smoke screens and security doors were all fitted at the shop.

The post, on Instagram, also paid tribute to Mr White, describing him as having “an incredible work ethic and a passion for pleasing customers”.

It continued: “In his time working with us, Oliver left a long-lasting impact on the watch community as a whole; both suppliers and customers were taken aback by his vibrant spirit and kind heart and his loss is felt deeply by all that knew him.”