£32,000 of children's clothes stolen in raids

Raiders have escaped with around £32,000 worth of expensive children's clothes from a South Staffordshire shop, it was revealed today.

The Children's Designer Wear Outlet has been targeted three times in as many months after a large sales push saw more than 1,000 leaflets advertising its address pushed through random letter boxes.

Stock valued at £18,000 was taken in the latest raid that was discovered early yesterday and the haul included a host of top designer labels.

Police now fear could be offered for sale at suspiciously low prices at markets, car boot sales and elsewhere over the Bank Holiday weekend.

The burglars smashed through a bricked up window to get into the converted rented barn at Wood Hall Farm, Wood Road, Codsall Wood, where an internet sales business called Tiny Labels and Figaroo Kids had operated without incident for several years.

But the spate of break ins started after it expanded and began selling direct to customers who called at the outlet.

Andrea Liberadzki, aged 44, who helps run it with owner Julia Loumidis who was on holiday in Greece when the latest theft occurred, said: "This has devastated us. The first raid was bad enough, then the second occured last week just as Julia was preparing to go on holiday and now it has happened again.

"This was the worst of the lot because they smashed through a wall, trod all over the stock, ripped clothes off hangers and left the place in an awful mess."

A door in the barn was kicked open overnight on May 24/25 in the first raid and up to £10,000 worth of clothing was taken.

Thieves struck again overnight on 19/20 August and escaped with £4000 worth of boys clothing and a batch of Emu boots.

Then at 6am yesterday farm staff discovered that a previously bricked up window at the building had been knocked through.

Anybody with information is urged to phone 0300 1232345 ext 03537 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.