BURGLARS IN LONDON

Evening Star, Issue 21073, 9 April 1932, Page 6

BURGLARS IN LONDON

—— FREQUENCY OF ROBBERIES RESIDENTS' STATE OF TERROR Armour-plated doors and shuttered and barred windows, with s padlocked steel frames, are among the many extraordinary precautions being, taken by residents in Campden street, Netting Hill Gate, London, following a remarkable series of burglaries within the last few months. ' Householders are living in a state of terror, for so clever is the gang believed to be responsible for the burglaries that even the strict day-and-night watch kept by specially detailed police has failed to stop their work. Tenants are afraid to leave their homes empty for more than a few minutes. Each night a light is left burning somewhere in every house, and many people leave their wireless sets on after they have gone to bed. Others have bought watch dogs which they leave with a free run of the'ground floors at_ night. Inquiries made recently in Campden street revealed that no fewer than nine burglaries have been committed in four houses during the previous six weeks. One house had been entered four times and another three times. In every case the burglaries took place while the house was left untenanted for a few minutes. One of tho houses entered is that occupied by Captain Broad, the famous airman. This burglary took place practically under the hoses of six plainclothes detectives who were guarding the street. A detective tried the door of the house at 8.40 p.m. and found it securely locked. Less than ten minutes later it was found oppn. An examination of the rooms revealed furniture broken and flung about in terrible disorder. A considerable quantity of Jewellery and clothing had been stolen. Another house which has been robbed on three occasions is one owned and until recently occupied by Mrs Agatha Christie, the novelist. Here about £IOO worth of jewellery was stolen. A resident took a newspaper correspondent along Campden street and pointed out houses which had been broken into within six weeks, and others which had been entered during the previous five or six months. These houses are occupied by fairly well-to-do people, who have formed themselves into a small self-protection organisation. Every night now the men patrol the street with their dogs at allotted intervals, and the women play their part by keeping watch from bedroom windows. The guide, with the aid of an electric flash-lamp, pointed out marks on the doors and lintels where the burglars had used jemmies to force an entrance. “ That,” he said, pointing to a freshlypainted, solid-looking door, “ is new. The old one was forced open four times. Now the owner has changed it for a solid oak door, with a steel plate at the hack.” Another door has cracks in its panels. “ This one,” said the guide, “ was reinforced after the burglars had smashed in the panels with an axe and a chisel. There is a steel plate behind that now.” Practically every window in the street was shattered. Some windows pointed out are specially constructed of steel, with steel lattice work between the frames. “It was thought that would stop the burglars,” the guide said, “ but they simply broke the glass panes and unfastened the catch. Now the people aro putting padlocks on their windows.” The police believe that the burglaries are tho work of a gang of young fellows led by an experienced burglar who is' reported to have been seen in the district fairly frequently.