Ram raiders take £30,000 of handbags from Multrees Walk

FORENSIC experts were today examining debris from a car used by a ram raider to steal £30,000 of handbags from an upmarket store.

The large estate vehicle was caught on security cameras reversing at speed over a metal bollard and through the glass shop front of Mulberry in Multrees Walk.

The driver jumped out and cleared the store's shelves in minutes before piling the haul into the car boot and making off.

It is the second ram raid to take place in the shopping thoroughfare, which also houses Harvey Nichols, in just over two years. Detectives are working to find the vehicle, which is expected to be badly damaged following the raid at 4am yesterday.

Officers are scouring through CCTV footage from shops on the street, but have not yet managed to identify the type of car or pick out its licence plate.

Experts from the force's accident investigation team are studying debris from the vehicle which broke off during the crash, and should soon be able to establish its make and model. The suspect driving the car was described as wearing dark clothing and white trainers. The car was last seen a short time later in Broughton Street.

The handbags are worth up to £700 each and investigators today warned members of the public to report anyone selling Mulberry products at discount prices.

Detective Constable Lawrence Mackintosh, who is leading the inquiry from Gayfield police station, said: "We have CCTV footage of the vehicle driving into the store. The driver got out and pretty much cleared it out.

"We are trying to track the movements of the car by recovering security camera footage. It seems likely that the car was stolen, but we can't say that for sure. We would appeal to anyone who saw this car, or witnessed the incident itself, to come forward."

A pair of ram raiders stole £10,000 worth of designer clothes from the G-Star store on Multrees Walk in July 2006. They grabbed designer jeans, sweatshirts and trousers before driving off in a Renault Laguna which was later found burned out on the A6106 near Millerhill, Midlothian.

DC Mackintosh added: "There was a metal bollard outside, but with the weight of the car it just went through it. We've not been able to establish what speed it was travelling at for now.

Due to fire regulations, only 'folding' bollards can be erected in the street to prevent emergency vehicles from being kept out.

A spokesman for La Salle Investment Management, which manages Multrees Walk, said: "CCTV from the stores is in the hands of police who are investigating. We encourage all tenants to install rolling security shutters behind their windows to prevent this type of incident."