The Ragga Girls

But solid silver - and not gold - is the metal of choice for this lot. 'We're sexy, but classy,' insists Bissi. 'We used to go to under-18s' raves, but we don't fit in any more. We're too sophisticated.'

The girls have long since graduated to a more adult scene. Naturally, they're a South London-based crew. It's all a question of postcode loyalties.

Seventeen-year-old Bissi has a soft spot for Asher D of the So Solid Crew. They know of one groupie who had a recent encounter with the convicted star but they don't like to associate with what they call 'sketty' behaviour. 'A sket,' Sophya, also 17, tells me brusquely, 'is a woman of loose morals.'

Looking good, or bootylicious, is a more upmarket affair. 'Personally, I'd rather starve than not look my best,' says Bissi, who spends most of the cash she earns from a part-time job in a shoe shop in Prohibito on South Molton Street. Natalie is a nail obsessive. Bissi prefers to concentrate on her hair - two hours is all it takes to grease, glaze and tong her locks to perfection.

To make an impact on the dancefloor, however, it's less about the dress and more about the moves. 'With ragga, it's all about the beat, man,' says Bissi. So what if they spy a suitable young man? 'Dance harder,' says Sophya, 'and, with a few subtle glances, you'll soon catch his eye.' But for a boy to qualify as a 'buff ting' he has to pass several tests. Boys who have car keys or crash helmets on display are particularly annoying. 'So you have a car. So what!' spits Natalie. 'I don't come to rave to be hit by a helmet,' adds Sophya. 'Well, after all that effort, a girl has a right to be fussy.' chioma nnadi

What they wear As long as it's short, tight and expensive - anything

Where they hang out South London

Idols Lisa Maffia from So Solid Crew

What's on their ringtone Destiny's Child's 'Bootylicious'