A CLOTHING store boss has vowed not to be beaten after ram raiders targeted his business for the second time in a week.

Mario Bellusci, of Darwen, has been running his Rawtenstall designer clothing business Bellusci Uomo for just 10 weeks.

He said business had been doing well and regular customers travelled from Clitheroe, Blackburn, Manchester and Burnley.

But today he is turning away customers because on Sunday ram raiders driving a J-registered red Ford Escort smashed the front of the shop and stole all but 10 garments and belts.

He said: "They have stolen between £12,000 and £14,000 worth of stock and caused a lot of damage to the building.

"I am having structural engineers check the shop front to see if it will need rebuilding." Mr Bellusci said he was in a difficult situation because his shop in Ormerod Street is in Rawtenstall Town Centre Conservation Area and there are restrictions on what alterations he can make and metal shutters are not allowed, but he said he will be writing to Rossendale Council to see what additional security measures are permitted.

He said: "I got a call at 11.50pm on Sunday from the security company to say the alarm had been activated and when I arrived here everything had gone.

"The Sunday before, some drunks fell into the window and stole a coat which was dropped when the police arrived.

"I had the window repaired and next day there was a £9,000 ram-raid.

"The loss adjusters approved the security system I had installed, and now I have been ram raided again. I am not going to be beaten.

"I am really gutted and annoyed.

"I had built up a good business and it was really getting recognised in the area, perhaps too well."

Stolen were jeans, knitwear, T-shirts, and short-sleeved shirts by Versace, Armani, Stone Island and Cerruti.

Police are appealing for anyone who saw the J-registered red Ford Escort to contact them on 01706 215242.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.