Gang steals designer children's clothes worth thousands in smash-and-grab raid

Daniel O'Mahoney21 September 2017
WEST END FINAL

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This is the moment a gang of masked thieves smash into a designer children’s clothing store using a moped after failing to kick down the door.

Thousands of pounds in stock was stolen or left strewn across the road after the brazen raid in a leafy suburban high street was interrupted by neighbours.

CCTV footage taken from Small World shows the three burglars try to kick in the door at least 13 times before ramming their way in on the scooter, ransacking the store and making their getaway.

The family-run business sells Spanish designer clothing for children aged up to 14, including a three-piece linen set for boys priced normally at £75.

Thousands of pounds in stock was stolen or left strewn across a street

Its 36-year-old owner described receiving a panicked early hours phone call from a neighbour living above the shop in High Street, Farnborough.

She said: “It was 3am, we didn’t know what was going on. We quickly drove round here and we saw all of our stock all over the street.

Police are hunting a gang who stole designer children's clothes worth thousands in smash-and-grab raid

“They’ve been startled off by the neighbour upstairs and dropped most of the stock throughout the High Street. They literally just rammed through the door of the shop.

“It was just bedlam. The door had been smashed in, they must have tried to kick it in 15 or 20 times and had no luck.

“The whole village is just disgusted by it. It’s supposed to be a really nice little area – you’re working hard, and these scumbags come and do that.”

No money was stolen during the break-in, which took place at about 3.15am on September 13.

The owner, who did not want to be named because “we don’t know what people we are dealing with”, estimated the store had suffered at least £5,000 in losses, including recovered stock that had been damaged beyond repair.

She appealed for anyone with information to come forward, adding: “We haven’t been able to trade since because we haven’t got a door. We’ve been able to take internet and telephone orders but we’ve just got a boarded up area for our door. Its financially crucified us.

“We’ve been here two years and we’ve only just started to recoup some money and pay ourselves and then this happens and you’re back to square one.

“We thought it was supposed to be a really nice area, but I suppose it can happen anywhere. We’re devastated really. We just can’t believe it.”

Met figures show moped-enabled crime has risen seven-fold in two years, from 1,053 in 2014 to 7,668 last year.

A Met police spokesman said: “Police in Bromley are investigating a burglary that saw the suspects get away with thousands of pounds worth of designer children’s clothes.

“The shop owner of the boutique in High Street, Farnborough, Bromley, came into work on Wednesday 13 September to discover the window smashed and a huge amount of valuable stock missing.

“CCTV from the store revealed that a moped with riders whose identity hit the shop at around 03:15hrs. There are no arrests, enquiries continue."

Anyone with information can contact the Burglary Squad at Sutton via 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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