Twelve expats among 26 customers and clients arrested at Fetish Fashion

Twenty-six people were arrested for taking part in a public sex performance early yesterday when undercover police raided a party at Fetish Fashion, the well-known Central sex shop.

Police said the 1am raid and arrests came after a five-month operation and were the first of their kind in Hong Kong. Those arrested by officers posing as customers were aged between 25 and 61 and included three women performers - a Thai, an American and a local Chinese aged in their 20s - 18 customers, and five Fetish Fashion staff.

Leather belts, wooden planks and ropes, believed to have been used in the sex shows were seized. Police said 12 expatriates, mostly men, were among those arrested, with four women among the customers.

A middle-aged expatriate woman police said was in charge of the shop was released on $3,000 police bail last night. The others were freed on bail ranging from $500 to $3,000.

Fetish Fashion, in the Merlin Building at 32-34 Cochrane Street, is a well-known sight to city workers who use the Central escalator. It sells products to cater for the needs of BDSM - bondage, domination and sado-masochism.

Central district operations officer Lau Tat-keung said: 'A special feature of the shop is that parties are being held from time to time to provide services known as BDSM. They are the first such performances we have come across.'