Who’s been keeping an eye on opticians around Hampstead?

 A LONE female shop worker was ordered out of the way by thieves when they entered a Hampstead opticians and made off with valuable sunglasses and glasses.

Vision Express in Heath Street was robbed on Thursday just before 5pm. Four men walked into the shop and said to the woman: “I don’t want to hurt you, so just move out of the way”. 

They then pushed her aside, grabbed the keys and unlocked the glasses cabinet. 

Police have appealed for information and witnesses but, despite a spate of raids on opticians in Hampstead and Primrose Hill, played down the vulnerability of opticians to this kind of crime. 

Detective Constable Mandeep Sekhon, the officer leading the inquiry, described last week’s theft as a one-off and said: “we do not feel this is linked to any other offence”. 

Instead, he moved to reassure businesses and residents that “the incident is being fully investigated”.

But last year the New Journal reported on an optician in Regent’s Park Road that was robbed eight times, while David Clulow and Dolland and Aitchison in Hampstead have both been victims of raids. Many shops lock away their expensive stock at night 

In April last year burglars made off with £15,000 worth of stock from Icon in South End Green after breaking through the shutters with an airgun and DIY tools.

Colin Krikler, of Dolland and Aitchison said there was little businesses could do to protect themselves from it, short of operating a locked door policy like jewellers do, but added that would damage business. 

“It’s a social issue,” he said. 

“We’ve been ram-raided – we’ve got hundreds of optical frames out but they went straight for the sunglasses. It’s just one of those products that we sell that people can make quick money on.”

He said staff lock away their expensive stock. When thefts occur, however, he said often there was little point claiming insurance on stolen items because in the long-run it would cost more in excess fees.

It is understood that the woman at Vision Express, who was working alone, was “terrified” when the four men walked into her shop, and at first tried to deter them by telling them she didn’t have a key for the cabinet. 

The New Journal has reported in the past how some opticians are frustrated with the sentences doled out to criminals, and complained that judges viewed it as a “victimless crime”.

Police described the suspects to the Vision Express raid, who ran away along Heath Street, as three white males and one black male, aged 17 to 19, wearing jeans. No arrests have been made. 

Anyone with information is urged to call Camden police on 0300 123 1212 or Crime­Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS