Sprinkler prank wreaks €250,000 havoc at top British store

Exclusive London store Harvey Nichols suffered damage worth more than £250,000 after a drunken customer set off its sprinkler system, it emerged today.

Designer TVs and music systems were destroyed in the flood, which happened after the man had been drinking in the store’s fifth floor bar.

Police made an appeal on this week’s BBC1 Crimewatch UK programme for more information about April’s incident, which they believe was a “prank”.

Two women who were seen chatting to the man are believed to have come forward as a result of the programme.

Det Con David Cahill, of Notting Hill CID, west London, said: “The man was talking to a couple of girls and they were among the last to leave.

“They were about to get the lift down. He was completely inebriated and starts looking at the sprinkler system.

“He gets out what we think is a lighter and holds it up to the sprinkler.

“All 8,000 gallons of water from the entire sprinkler system then emptied out through the one sprinkler.

“There were Bang and Olufsen television sets and sound systems in there that got water damaged.”

He added: “I think it was very much a prank. There is no suggestion that it was anything to do with him getting one over on the store.”

Tonight Scotland Yard refused to discuss reports that the women had said the man worked for Harrods.

A Yard spokesman said: “At 11pm on April 4 a man tampered with the sprinkler system in the Harvey Nichols store in Knightsbridge.

“The system was triggered and thousands of gallons of water was released causing at least a quarter of a million pounds of damage to the store and stock.”

Harvey Nichols and Harrods were unavailable for comment last night.