Scooter robbers raid Mayfair designer

Thieves on two scooters smashed the glass front door of the Sonia Rykiel store in Brook Street shortly after midnight.

They got away with handbags and clothes worth tens of thousands of pounds. A routine police traffic patrol car came across the scene shortly at 12.24am, but the thieves escaped heading towards Cavendish Square.

The raid is the latest in a series of attacks on London's most prestigious stores and designer outlets.

The motorcycle thieves have struck at least 35 times in the last six months alone and retailers are now mounting their own security patrols in an effort to protect their premises.

Police believe at least two gangs are at work, targeting the latest designer goods on show in shop windows - staking them out during the day and then striking in the early hours when few people are on the street.

Scotland Yard has set up a special detective squad to target the raiders but say they are difficult to catch because of the lightning speed with which they strike. Police have also ruled out high-speed motorcycle chases through London in pursuit of the gangs because of the danger to the public.

At one point the gangs were carrying out raids at the rate of at least one a week.

Last month thieves on mopeds broke into Luella Bartley's new Mayfair outlet and stole about 10 handbags worth up to £1,000 each.

Minutes earlier they had struck at the Brora cashmere store in Marylebone High Street and took two holdalls of goods worth hundreds of pounds.

The gangs have also raided Gucci - which now employs a night watchman to guard its shop front in Sloane Street - and Ralph Lauren.

The raids almost always follow the same pattern - involving two motorcycles with four men (two riding pillion), one pair to break the glass on the front of the store with a sledgehammer, the other to snatch the goods in the window.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said they had few details of this morning's raid. "We were called to the shop in Brook Street at 12.24am to reports of a burglary.

"Two men in dark clothing and on scooters had forced their way into the shop and taken a number of items."

She added that it had all the hallmarks of previous raids.

"At this stage it is too early to say exactly what was taken or the value of the goods."

Police have been holding talks with retailers in an effort to get them to tighten up security on the front windows of stores.

WEST END FASHION SHOP RAIDS