TOWN centre traders are calling for safety barriers to protect their stores after a clothing shop was ram-raided on Tuesday night (February 19).

Thieves smashed a car through the front of Ocean Clothing, in Fishergate, before stealing thousands of pounds worth of designer clothes.

Store owner, Elyas Mitha, said barriers on the street could have prevented such a raid and Preston Borough Council have offered to look into fitting them.

Thieves struck at around 11.30pm and reversed the blue J-reg Vauxhall Cavalier through the front of the store at the junction of Fishergate and Corporation Street.

Two thieves ran into the shop, while the driver remained in the car, and grabbed £7,000 of clothes. They dumped the car in Avenham Park.

Mr Mitha, who has run the clothing firm for around seven years, said: "We'll be out of business for a couple of days and we'll have to work round the clock to clear everything up. I think barriers might make a difference."

Police are checking CCTV cameras in the area for clues and interviewing a witness.

Mr Mitha said: "There were people about and I was here in five minutes. If the alarm hadn't gone off they would have taken everything."

Nearby shopkeepers also said barriers on the pavement would help to prevent similar attacks.

Louise Kelly of nearby Kenvig Hairdressers said: "I think they should put barriers up, it would save the windows at least."

Viv Croft from Platt's, the Pen People, Fishergate, said: "We've got railings and a phone box outside us, and it stops people coming onto the kerb."

Julia Horn, general manager of the Chamber of Trade, said. "Anything to stop ram-raiding would be good as long as it doesn't impede traffic down the street. It isn't very nice being ram-raided and anything that could stop it would be good."

A spokesman for Preston Borough Council said: "This is the first incident like this in the town centre that we are aware of. But we are also aware that barriers are in place in other areas. It is something we would consider if people wanted us to look into it.

"It would have to be in a way that wouldn't cause obstruction, for example to blind people. We could certainly look into it."

Detective Inspector Pat Gill said: "We are going to take the abandoned car in for forensic examination, and we're going to check CCTV footage."