Explore Britain’s history of audacious cat burglars and their daring heists
London: One of the wildest stories from Christmas was the theft of over £10 million in jewelry and cash from a mansion in St John’s Wood. A guy climbed in through a second-floor window and moved around like a cat, sneaking past seven people before making off with his loot.
This heist takes us back to a time before security cameras were everywhere. Back then, cat burglars roamed the wealthy parts of London, making off with millions in jewels and art.
Peter Scott, known as the King of the Cat Burglars, was one of the most infamous. He grew up in a middle-class family in Belfast and started his life of crime as a teenager, sneaking into homes in posh neighborhoods while wearing his school scarf.
By the time he got caught in 1952, he had pulled off over 150 burglaries. He spent six months in jail but quickly returned to London to continue his escapades. In his memoir, he claimed he was on a mission to reclaim wealth from the rich.
One of his most famous jobs was robbing actress Sophia Loren while she was filming in 1960. He pretended to be a journalist to find out where she was staying and then climbed in to steal cash and jewels worth around £200,000. It was a big deal back then!
Scott once said, “The term ‘cat burglar’ has been romanticized. You’re really only a dishonest window cleaner.” He even watched real window cleaners and thought they were doing riskier stuff than he ever did.
He had a network of informants, including chauffeurs, who tipped him off about wealthy folks. He’d even break in while people were home. Once, a lady thought he was the butler when he shouted, “Everything’s all right, madam!”
Scott spent years in jail, with his last conviction in 1998 for stealing a Picasso. He called it “poaching excitement.” When he passed away in 2013, a friend found a folder labeled Possible Victims File filled with clippings about wealthy people.
He learned the tricks of the trade from George “Taters” Chatham, another famous cat burglar. Chatham did his homework in libraries, looking up wealthy families in magazines. Nowadays, it seems like burglars are checking Instagram for their targets.
Chatham was known for stealing the Duke of Wellington’s jewel-encrusted sword in 1948. He climbed through a window 40 feet up to get it! He also took a ring and a fur coat from Lady Rothermere, but returned them when asked.
Chatham had a gambling problem, so most of his earnings went to bets. He’d even leave poker games to steal from nearby homes. He spent a lot of time in jail, too.
Both Scott and Chatham had serious injuries from falls while climbing. With the rise of security systems and CCTV, high-end burglaries have changed a lot. Now, when a “cat burglar” makes the news, it’s often for something quite different.
Just last month, a guy named Carlos Cyrus was in court for stealing two cats in Surrey. He got 20 weeks in jail for it, especially since the cats are still missing!
