LONDON LOOTERS

Southland Times, Issue 24444, 26 May 1941, Page 3

LONDON LOOTERS

DEATH SENTENCE URGED LONDON, April 16. To stop organized loot gangs making fortunes in bombed areas, M.P.’s are to demand the death penalty. The Home Secretary, Mr Herbert Morrison, will be asked by Colonel Josiah Wedgwood to order the hanging of looters. Other members are backing the proposal following the large increase in these vile thefts. Police who have intensified their efforts to combat these crimes throughout the country believe they have caught 75 per cent, of the organized criminals. But too many individual looters are still free. It has been stated in court that men and women have left well-paid jobs to go looting, and deal with receivers.

“If we kill these organized ghouls who rob even bodies lying in the ruins of their shattered homes, we will deter others,” Colonel Wedgwood told The Sunday Chronicle. “Now that the Government is buying up furniture for the homeless, looters have gone into that business, too. In one London suburb families were forced to leave their homes because of a time-bomb. When they returned a few days later most of their furniture had vanished.” Distribution warehouses have been established by stolen goods receivers v.ho are supplied by gangs. The crooks have actually driven up with lorries to bombed stores during raids and taken away stocks. Articles looted in London are sold in provincial cities and vice versa. Restrictions on supplies and rationing make the “trade” very profitable.

Sir Gerald Dobson, Recorder of London, admitted that his efforts to deal with looting by passing lenient sentences had failed. “The Legislature was wise in making the heaviest penalty available for this class of offence,” he said. “Tire majority of people would rather cut off their right hand than steal things in these circumstances.” Police anti-looting patrols have been strengthened, and plain-clothes officers mix with civil defence personnel.