'I felt sick when my shop was raided'

Evey Amery sells pre-owned designer bags

A businesswoman who had tens of thousands of pounds worth of luxury bags stolen from her shop is calling for people to beware of the burglars selling them online.

Police are investigating after the showroom of Evey's Preloved in Mill Hill, north-west London, was broken into with a sledgehammer at about 22:40 GMT on Tuesday with high-value watches also taken.

Evey Amery, 57, said she "felt really upset" after the break-in, but people had been "really, really kind and genuine".

She said: "It's a little business but I'm here, I love what I do and so I will carry on."

Two of the bags taken from Ms Amery's shop

No arrests have been made but the Metropolitan Police said officers attended swiftly and it was gathering CCTV footage as "inquiries continue".

Ms Amery, who said it had taken her years to build her business selling pre-owned designer bags, described the burglary as "well planned".

Issuing a call for help, she said: "I want colleagues to be really mindful about what's happened: people might unknowingly be buying goods which are stolen.

"A lot of the bags that were taken were without boxes and dust covers."

She praised the response of the community after what she described as "a horrible thing to happen".

"I'm not global or corporate, I love what I do. I love selling, I love chatting and I love pre-loved.

"I've had some amazing comments: people genuinely want to help and that shows a lot about their character."