Former glamour model Kelly Brook has disclosed that she sold her cherished Hermès Birkin handbag primarily due to fears of becoming a target for criminals in London. The 46-year-old television personality explained that while she made an impressive five-fold profit on the designer accessory, her decision was heavily influenced by safety concerns in the capital.
Safety Concerns Prompt Luxury Sale
Speaking to Richard Eden of the Daily Mail, Brook revealed: 'I just sold my Birkin not that long ago for about five times what I bought it for. It was a beautiful bag. But I've had it and I used it and I enjoyed it.' The model elaborated on her motivations, stating: 'I'm very mindful that I live in London and I don't want to be targeted for my bags - because people are. So I'm very careful about very expensive designer things and jewellery. I don't really purchase things like that any more, or even have things like that.'
London's Luxury Crime Hotspots
Brook's concerns reflect broader patterns of crime targeting high-value items in affluent London areas. Recent data reveals that streets lined with multi-million pound homes in Mayfair and sections of Soho represent some of the worst affected burglary hotspots across England and Wales. The area surrounding Regent Street, known for its prestigious shops and restaurants, recorded 282 break-ins according to recent statistics.
Meanwhile, affluent central London districts have also experienced significant numbers of muggings and robberies. Police data shows 508 reported muggings in the year to June 2025 across an area covering both Oxford Street and Shaftesbury Avenue. Another 499 individual robberies were recorded in the vicinity of Regent Street, New Bond Street, and sections of Oxford Street during the same period.
Investment Returns Despite Unusual History
This isn't the first time Brook has profited from luxury handbag sales. During a 2023 appearance on her Heart radio show with co-host Jason King, she recalled purchasing what she described as an 'investment' bag during her younger years. 'Many years ago, I was way more into fashion and designer labels when I was younger - I think that's a given,' she explained. 'So a long, long time ago I invested in a handbag. And I told JK how much it was, and he couldn't believe I'd spend that much on a handbag.'
Remarkably, Brook sold that particular bag fifteen years later, boasting: 'It had literally quadrupled in price! It was such a good investment.' However, she confessed to an unusual detail about the bag's history, revealing: 'Oh, I had been sick in it a couple of times in the back of the cab on nights out,' while admitting she didn't include this information in the online listing description.
Recent High-Profile Luxury Thefts
Brook's safety concerns are substantiated by several recent high-profile thefts targeting luxury items in London. Just last week, fashion designer Catalin Botezatu, who has worked with prestigious clients including Vogue and Versace, was mugged for his ultra-rare £2 million Richard Mille watch in Mayfair's Berkeley Square. The 59-year-old designer was robbed at 11:50pm last Thursday, with 33-year-old Younes Djoudim from Slough, Berkshire, subsequently charged with theft and remanded in custody at Westminster Magistrates Court.
The stolen watch is believed to be part of the exclusive Sapphire Series, considered among the rarest timepieces globally and highly sought after by wealthy collectors and celebrities. Notable owners of similar watches include tennis legend Rafael Nadal, Formula One driver Charles Leclerc, and rapper Jay-Z.
Celebrity Home Invasions in the Capital
This week also saw the sentencing of a robber who broke into a luxury London residence where Hollywood actress Anya Taylor-Joy was staying. Career criminal Kirk Holdrick, 43, was one of two masked intruders who forced entry into the lavish property in February 2023, in what prosecutors believe may have been a targeted attack on the actress.
Taylor-Joy's husband, musician Malcolm McRae, confronted the intruders armed only with a lamp as Holdrick and his accomplice attempted to prise open a bedroom door with a crowbar. McRae managed to scare off the burglars by shouting 'I have a gun, I have a gun,' with the intruders fleeing empty-handed. The manner of the break-in, specifically targeting the bedroom rather than simply stealing valuables, suggested personal targeting of the actress according to prosecution evidence.
Holdrick, who was previously jailed for life in 2005 for armed robberies targeting a security van and a jewellers, was recalled to prison to continue serving his life sentence. Last November he received a 12-year sentence for holding a mother and daughter at gunpoint during a terrifying £220,000 raid on a Sandbanks mansion. He has now been handed an additional three-year prison sentence for the burglary involving Taylor-Joy and McRae.
The Hermès Birkin bag that Brook sold represents one of fashion's ultimate status symbols, with prices ranging from approximately £10,000 into the hundreds of thousands depending on materials, rarity, and condition. Her decision to sell reflects growing concerns among luxury goods owners in London about personal safety and property security in an environment where high-value items increasingly attract criminal attention.
