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Poloce Hunt For Paddington Jewel Thief With CCTV Footage |
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A month after a thief stole designer jewellery worth more than £100,000
from a luxury flat next to Hyde Park, he came back for more. Police believe a
smartly dressed young man caught on CCTV
cameras in the Bayswater apartment block could be behind three burglaries
in the same complex.
A Russian oil consultant had just left her flat when the
burglar struck early in the evening of February 7. He raided her bedroom of family
heirlooms, including gem stones and five watches. A commissioned set of jewellery,
by Italian designer Carlo Luca from Querzia Gioiellieri, was worth £50,000 on
its own. It consisted of a ring, necklace and earrings set with black pearls and
diamonds. At 6pm last Saturday the oil consultant heard a noise at her front door,
said Detective Chief Inspector Martin Johnson of Paddington police. "She screamed
and it stopped." The thief's first raid was on February 6, when he broke into
a nearby flat while the tenant was sleeping. He made off with her handbag, purse,
credit cards and driver's license. CCTV
footage filmed at the time of all three incidents show the same well-dressed
man. "He may be a friend or relation, or he may be the burglar," said Johnson.
"We would like to eliminate him from the inquiry." In all three cases, there was
no sign of forced entry. Police believe the burglar picked the locks. Johnson
advised residents of apartment blocks to fit good locks on communal doors and
keep them shut. There is "nothing to indicate" that the burglaries may be linked
to other incidents in London's wealthy central neighbourhoods, he added. Anyone
with information can call Paddington burglary squad on 0207 321 8500. Martina
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