Raiders smashed a van into a Hermès store in Chelsea, escaping with designer handbags and jewellery worth thousands in the exclusive district’s latest ram-raid.
The Transit was driven into the front of the outlet in Sloane Street at 3am yesterday before the gang fled on mopeds with armfuls of high-end goods.
Police were called to the shopping street to find the vehicle still embedded in the shop front. A wooden board had been fitted over the shattered front window today with extra security in place. One worker told the Standard: “They took everything.”
Necklaces on the Hermès London website are worth more than £21,000 and handbags sell for up to £18,000.
A resident who lives opposite said: “There was a massive bang like an explosion. I could hear men’s voices. I started to think maybe it was a road accident. There were police there after a bit and lots of flashing lights.”
Another resident said: “To be honest this happens a lot in this area. They target the luxury brands.”
A Hermès spokeswoman said: “We can confirm there was an incident at the store and we are fully co-operating with the police investigation. No one was injured.”
The store would be open for business as usual today, she added.
Scotland Yard said: “A number of suspects made off on mopeds prior to the arrival of police. The van was abandoned at the scene. A police investigation is underway. There has been no arrest.”
In April ram-raiders used a van to smash through the windows of Tiffany & Co. A month earlier, the Chanel store was targeted.
