London's West End loses £1million to watch muggers every month as knife gang is jailed for £137,000 Mayfair grab

A Met Police officer told Southwark Crown Court that knife gangs are stealing £1 million worth of luxury watches from victims in London's West End every month. Younes Djoudi, 34, Ali Eldahouzze, 22, and Abdel El Habchi, 30, were jailed over the theft of a £137,000 diamond-encrusted Richard Mille from Catalin Botezatu, a Romanian fashion entrepreneur, outside Amazonico, a Berkeley Square restaurant, in January. Judge Dafna Spiro described the robberies as "a shame and a blight on our city" and noted that Botezatu has been put off returning to London.

In the past six months, a knife was "seen or intimated" in one in five West End watch robberies, with victims "punched, kicked and injured".

Botezatu said he feared for his life as the three men closed in on him and used a sharp implement to slice through the watch strap, leaving cuts on his wrist.

Det Sgt Andy Swindells told the court the £137,000 watch — a birthday gift from a now-deceased friend — has never been recovered.