A group of up to 50 people, armed with bear spray, looted around $100,000 (£78,000) worth of luxury items from a shopping centre in Los Angeles, officials have said.

The group descended on the Westfield Topanga Mall in Woodland Hills and took off with stashes of luxury handbags and high-end clothing after shocking security guards with animal spray, Los Angeles Police said.

In a video circulating on social media, people wearing hoods and masks tear down shelves and run out of the shop carrying the stolen goods.

The aftermath showed broken glass and shelves on the ground.

Police were alerted to the incident after a call reporting “numerous persons shoplifting”.

They estimated the loss at $60,000 to $100,000 (£47,000 to £78,000).

There was no immediate information on the number of arrests made or on the condition of the two guards who were shocked with bear spray.

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Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass called the robbery “absolutely unacceptable”.

“Those who committed these acts and acts like it in neighbouring areas must be held accountable,” she said in a statement on Saturday.

“The Los Angeles Police Department will continue to work to not only find those responsible for this incident, but to prevent these attacks on retailers from happening in the future.”

The incident follows a similar robbery at a Yves Saint Laurent store in nearby Glendale, NBC Los Angeles reported.

The loss there was estimated at $300,000 (£236,000).

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