Thieves pretend to be mannequins until store shut before stealing designer clothes

A gang of crafty thieves pretended to be mannequins when a department store was locking up for the night – before they made away with £10,000 worth of designer clothes.

They posed as dummies at a Beales store in Worthing, Sussex, alongside the real models on display.As soon as staff had shut up shop , they browsed the stock at their leisure picking out what they wanted.

Sussex Police were baffled as to how the gang – who are still on the run – got in without setting off alarms at the upmarket store.The alarm only sounded when they left the building via a fire escape with thousands of pounds worth of gear.

Beales is fitted with a sophisticated alarm system of sensors that should detect movement, and would have ‘spotted’ the burglars had they tried to break in..

The assistant, who asked not to be named, said:
“It was only triggered when they left the store – it was a very well-orchestrated crime
“They must have secreted themselves and pretended to be mannequins.”They probably dressed in clothes identical to those worn by the mannequins and stood there, not moving a muscle till the shop shut and everyone went home.
“They took oilskin jackets, high-end designer clothes and the like.
“It showed incredible nerve – the store is equipped from top to bottom with sensor alarms and cameras.
“They must have stood there with the mannequins not daring to move a muscle – imagine if they wanted to sneeze or had an itch they couldn’t scratch!