Designer gear worth £2.5k is stolen in raid

Clothing estimated to be worth in the region of £2,500 was stolen during the burglary in the early hours of today, Friday, November 6, at David Thomson and Son outfitters at 24 High Street in Jedburgh.

Intruders used a hammer to smash open the front door at the premises before making off with items.

The raid follows another burglary at the premises in January when £8,000 worth of clothes, including designer label items from Levi and Tommy Hilfiger, were snatched.

However, last night’s incident appears to have been a much more amateur affair with the thieves making off with sale items before fleeing the popular men’s and women’s outfitters.

Alex Campbell, 75, boss at David Thomson and Son for six decades, reopened the premises today despite the setback and has asked for the public’s help in bringing to justice the culprits responsible for the latest raid.

He revealed that the business had only been targeted by thieves on three occasions over the last 60 years, the two times this year and once before, more than 50 years ago.

Alex said: “I got a phone call at about 3.30am this morning, it was something like that. It’s been a kind of funny raid this time around.

“The last time it seemed to be a really professional set-up where they picked all the designer stuff but on this occasion it looks like someone has just battered the door open.

“They must have come prepared because there was a broken hammer lying there but I don’t think they have been as professional this time because they were just grabbing stuff at random and with it being in the dark and they must have started taking sales stuff out of the door before they realised what it was.

“They took some plum merchandise, but not a lot, maybe in the region of £2,500, something like that.

“They smashed the door in with a hammer and we are going to have to get that properly fixed, it’s been temporarily fixed by the insurance people.

“This is unusual for Jedburgh because it’s quite a peaceful little place and it is disappointing that this is creeping into the area, but I just hope that they get caught.”

The shop, trading in Jedburgh’s High Street since 1883 and passed down through generations of Alex’s family, is an institution in the town and further afield in the Borders, offering tailoring services, kilt hire and men’s and women’s designer clothes.

Alex added: “This will be my sixtieth year in three weeks time and the business has been going for 137 years.

“There was only one previous event and that was 50 years ago when there was an attempted robbery but the local police at the time caught them in the act.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the police, quoting the incident number of 0427 Friday, November 6.

Locals with private CCTV or dashcam footage are also being urged to come forward if they can help with inquiries.