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West End stores fight bike gangs
Rashid Razaq, Evening Standard25.03.08
West End fashion stores are bolstering their security after a spate of smash-and-grab motorcycle raids.
Handbag designer Anya Hindmarch, luggage shop Tanner Krolle, Jimmy Choo shoes and Italian fashion brand Salvatore Ferragamo have all been targeted in a series of robberies in less than a week.
Thieves smashed through glass windows and doors to snatch designer goods worth thousands of pounds each in raids lasting minutes.
The New West End Company, which represents traders in Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street, is consulting the police on security.
Smart Water - which sprays intruders with a chemically coded liquid - is being considered as a deterrent along with invisible electronic tagging and private security patrols.
The group's spokesman Jace Tyrell said: "Discreet security measures will be stepped up over the next few weeks. We have to strike a balance between improved security and maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the stores."
