Thief hits high fashion stores

This item of clothing was stolen from Carly Harris.

A thief with a taste for expensive fashion has been targeting stores along Ponsonby Rd.

Three outlets have lost clothing in the past few weeks in what police describe as "bold" early morning burglaries.

La Cigale, Carly Harris and Red Head Clothing Ltd have been hit twice each and lost tens of thousands of dollars worth of stock in the burglaries which started on August 27 and happened between 6am and 7.15am. The thief forced open windows and used a long pole with hooks on the end to reach through bars and remove clothing. A pole and torch left at two scenes are being examined for fingerprints.

In a burglary, on September 2, Carly Harris owner Christine Harris disturbed a man pulling items through a rear window. She said he was Caucasian, 25 to 40 with a ruddy complexion and weathered face.

Constable Lara Wills of the Avondale Law Enforcement Team described the thefts as devastating for the victims. "Many of the items are one-offs and have distinctive labels, so it would be obvious to others in the fashion industry that they're stolen ... "