Iconic Scots street now ‘lawless’ as it’s raided by organised smash & grab gangs

SCOTLAND’S most famous shopping street is at the mercy of a “theft-demic” crime wave that’s costing business owners thousands of pounds.

Thieves have been caught on camera carrying out brazen smash and grab raids on stores along the iconic stretch.

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Fed-up shopkeepers are pleading for more to be done to tackle what they describe as a ‘lawless’ upsurge – with some fearless crooks helping themselves to expensive cashmere scarves and clothing.

Others have been filmed kicking in a plate-glass window to get their hands on a haul of pricey Harris Tweed bags costing £150 a pop.

Business owners and workers are now calling for urgent police action to stop the street changing from a tourist to a shoplifting hotspot.

Galab Singh Gold, 47, has revealed his various shops on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile have lost a combined £15,000 in the last three months.

And he’s had to fork out a further £3,000 to replace a window tanned by thieves.

He told BBC Scotland of fears gangs are stealing to order as he accused the police of failing to properly tackle the shoplifting spree.

He said: “Someone is either ordering these bags or they know people that are buying them so they know it will be easy to get rid of the bags

“The police say they don’t have the resources to tackle something like this but it’s not just petty crime any more – this is organised theft.”

Mr Singh Gold said some thieves are so brazen they take goods even when staff are watching.

He added: “We are sick of calling the police and making reports and downloading CCTV and then nothing happens.”

He is now bringing in his own security staff at £8,000 a month to tackle what he has dubbed a “theft-demic”.

He said  “The city centre has become lawless and this is where they are getting the brazenness because they know that the systems we have in place with the policing and the control of crime has failed.”

Maria Sanchez, 46, manager of Marchbrae on the Royal Mile, told BBC Scotland she was punched in the face by a woman holding a vape.

She added: “When we call the police they say if it’s not dangerous then they will just take a statement over the phone, and pop out a few days later for you to sign it.”

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Sabine Fischlin, manager of the Woollen Mill on the Royal Mile said: “We feel unsafe, stressed and staff members are feeling constantly on edge.”

The Scottish Experience Company with a collection of visitor focused shops in the Old Town has goods regularly stolen including whisky bottles, clothing, sweets and Harris Tweed handbags.

Mr Bindi Singh said: “We are having windows smashed regularly too and it’s now costing a fortune.

“Can we have more of a police presence as they are noticeably not present at this growingly difficult time.

“It’s looking like it will get even worse in the run up to Christmas.”

Ch Insp Mark Hamilton, of Police Scotland said: “I can assure everyone that we are investigating all incidents reported to us.

“We work closely with the retail and business sectors to deter, prevent and investigate retail crime.

“Where we identify businesses which are being targeted by shoplifters, we have trained officers who can attend and carry out security surveys and offer advice around prevention.”