London hunts ‘Wimbledon Prowler’ burglar

Cunning gentleman thieves have seduced romantics from the days of Robin Hood through to Hollywood’s heyday — and now London is transfixed by the real-life antics of the “Wimbledon Prowler”.

The prolific burglar is suspected of carrying out hundreds of break-ins around one of London’s most exclusive neighbourhoods, making off with assets worth more than £10 million.

The quaint, upscale neighbourhood of Wimbledon Village in the British capital’s smart southwest is sheltered from the hustle of city life, and known mainly for its famous tennis tournament and multi-million pound mansions.

But, fear now stalks the leafy streets in the form of the “Wimbledon Prowler”, as the light-fingered criminal has been nicknamed by the British press.

In a decade of deception, the thief has committed more than 200 burglaries, making mockeries of locks, alarms and security camera systems to pilfer luxury watches, jewellery and cash, detective inspector Dan O’Sullivan said.

The intruder’s high-profile targets have included German tennis legend Boris Becker and French former Real Madrid and Arsenal footballer Nicolas Anelka, who chased the burglar from his house.

His biggest single trophy is believed to be a 1955 Rolex Submariner watch valued at around £500,000.

“In the UK there is no one that gets close to him, in terms of the period of time that he’s been offending and the financial gain,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

“The law of averages says that you’re going to make a mistake one day, but we’ve never actually got close to him, which indicates he’s very good. He’s disciplined.”

That the crook remains at large is not for the lack of trying, with media reporting that police have even hidden in trees to catch him in the act.

Starved of solid leads, Scotland Yard launched an appeal for witnesses in March after a particularly productive period for the burglar between last September and early 2016, with three to four break-ins committed per week.

“When you look back at the history of the last 10 years, that is what he seems to do,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

“He seems to smash 20 to 30 jobs over a couple of months and then he seems to go to ground.”