A model and influencer has shared CCTV footage of the moment her brand new Hermès Birkin bag, worth over £10,000, was stolen from a VIP changing room at Manière De Voir on Oxford Street, London.
Janice Joostema, who has 1.2 million Instagram followers, was trying on clothes when a female thief, dressed in a long white coat, entered the room and swiped the red Hermes JPG Shoulder Birkin. The bag had been purchased less than a week earlier.
In the footage, the thief is seen prowling the store before opening the changing room door and taking the bag while Ms Joostema had her back turned. The influencer said she was putting on a top and the windows faced Oxford Street, leaving her exposed.
Ms Joostema issued a warning to Londoners, saying: 'Thieves are coming into dressing rooms when they see you turned, they are watching you while you are changing and naked just to steal your belongings.' She added that her passport was also stolen, forcing her to cancel a holiday to Switzerland.
The theft is part of a wider trend of designer handbag crimes in London, with £600,000 worth of products stolen from two showrooms in recent weeks. Ms Joostema described the incident as 'gut-wrenching' and called for help identifying the thief.
