Woman on motorbike snatches designer handbags

She was one of two raiders who escaped with thousands of pounds worth of handbags in a robbery late last night.

The thieves targeted Salvatore Ferragamo on Old Bond Street - the third time that the Italian clothes and accessories shop has been hit in the last two years. Two suspects, a man and a woman, smashed through a glass door around 10.20pm last night before making off with at least 10 handbags, which can sell for up to £7,000 each.

A witness, who saw the thieves making their getaway, said: "They must have been doing more than 60mph. It was a woman passenger holding on with five bags on each arm. They were all different colours, some of them pink and yellow, and they were all blowing up because of the wind. It looked like she had a parachute on when they came through at that speed."

The man and woman's faces were concealed by their motorcycle helmets as they sped off through Berkeley Square towards Piccadilly.

There have been more than 60 raids on designer boutiques and jewellers in Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Chelsea in the last few years. Moped gangs have escaped with millions of pounds' worth of watches, gems and handbags.

Detectives claimed to have cracked a major scooter gang after seven suspects were arrested in a police operation last December. Officers seized a handgun, four stolen motorbikes and 20 Louis Vuitton handbags worth more than £1,200 each. The Islington-based gang was caught after they carried out two raids in one night while under surveillance.

Stores on Bond Street and Sloane Street have been the main targets of motorbike gangs. The thieves typically smash through glass windows with sledgehammers and grab as many items as they can in raids lasting only a few minutes.

Over 40 handbags, including one £7,000 crocodile bag, were stolen in the last attack on Salvatore Ferragamo.

Nearby, the royal jeweller Asprey has been hit at least six times, losing some £400,000 worth of watches in one raid alone. It led to Asprey importing 22mm reinforced glass for its shopfront at huge cost. Gucci, hit at least twice in Bond Street and three times in Sloane Street, now employs 24-hour security guards. Other victims include Cartier, De Beers, Tiffany's, Tod's, Chanel, Mulberry and Gucci.

A Met Police spokeswoman said: "There are two suspects. The female passenger got off the bike and smashed through the glass.

"The suspects were last seen driving towards Piccadilly. We do not yet have a value on the items stolen."