Fine Dining Bandit Strikes Again!

A repeat offender, known as the 'fine dining bandit,' is suspected of stealing nearly £2,000 worth of luxury goods from high-end businesses in London over the past month. The thief's targets have included premium meat, langoustines, and most recently, £400 of orchids. The latest incident involved a brazen theft of flowers from a shop in Chelsea, captured on CCTV, with the suspect seen reaching through gates to snatch the orchids.

This latest heist follows earlier thefts, including approximately £800 of premium meat from a Michelin-starred restaurant in Spitalfields and £300 of langoustines from another establishment in Chelsea. Business owners believe the same woman is responsible due to similar physical characteristics and the consistent targeting of early morning deliveries. This pattern suggests a planned operation where the stolen goods may be resold within a network.

The 'fine dining bandit' is believed to be exploiting a growing trend of parcel thefts across the UK, where 'porch pirates' are striking in record numbers. The combined value of the stolen luxury items highlights the vulnerability of businesses relying on doorstep deliveries, especially in the current challenging economic climate for the hospitality sector. Police data indicates a significant increase in package thefts nationwide.