Top tailor from Holborn dresses down 'mindless' scooter vandals after replacing entire fleet of Vespas this year

A bespoke tailor hit out after being forced to replace his entire fleet of distinctive Vespa scooters due to theft and vandalism in the past year.

Charlie Baker-Collingwood, 40, said “mindless” thugs had cost his business thousands of pounds in repairs and lost business.

In the latest incident, a young man was caught on CCTV deliberately pushing over one of the branded tartan scooters parked outside Henry Herbert Tailors at 2am last Tuesday.

Police are now looking for the suspect who casually walked away leaving the engine, bodywork and wing mirrors damaged in Lamb’s Conduit Passage, Holborn.

Founder and CEO Mr Baker-Collingwood set up the Henry Herbert business providing handmade English suits and shirts from the back of a scooter in 2008.

He travels to clients’ homes, hotels and offices to measure, fit and deliver suits rather than them having to go back and forth to Savile Row or Soho.

Mr Baker-Collingwood, who owns three Vespas, told the Standard: “When I watched the CCTV in the morning, I was shocked and saddened.

“These scooters are so valuable to us. If they are out of action, we cannot see customers and that creates a backlog of orders."

He added: “Within the last year, our whole fleet of scooters has been replaced through theft and other losses.

“We are already so troubled by the epidemic of scooter crime in London. But this mindlessness has set us back again and caused a serious financial loss. Sadly the chances of police catching the culprit are slim.”

A Met spokesman said police were investigating criminal damage but there have been no arrests.