'Cool' burglar stole £1million collection after exposing single flaw in CCTV system
Lord Gage today described the daring thief who stole his £1million porcelain collection as 'a very cool burglar'.
Lord Gage today described the daring thief who stole his £1million porcelain collection as 'a very cool burglar'.
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The Viscount said the intruder had exposed a single blind spot in his extensive CCTV system at the 15th century country estate, Firle Place.
The Viscount said the intruder had exposed a single blind spot in his extensive CCTV system at the 15th century country estate, Firle Place.
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The thief stole dozens of items from cabinets brimming with rare porcelain treasures and made his escape without alerting a single member of the household, and even cleared up after himself.
The thief stole dozens of items from cabinets brimming with rare porcelain treasures and made his escape without alerting a single member of the household, and even cleared up after himself.
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The stately home near Lewes, East Sussex, is where BBC series Jonathan Creek is filmed.
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Lord Henry Nicholas Gage said the items included Sevres masterpieces and precious family heirlooms and had been stolen from right under their noses.
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'He was certainly a very cool burglar indeed,' he said.
The stately home near Lewes, East Sussex, is where BBC series Jonathan Creek is filmed.
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Lord Henry Nicholas Gage said the items included Sevres masterpieces and precious family heirlooms and had been stolen from right under their noses.
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'He was certainly a very cool burglar indeed,' he said.
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'We caught him coming in on our CCTV cameras and it is obvious that he was a total professional.
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'We caught him coming in on our CCTV cameras and it is obvious that he was a total professional.
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'The man had a ladder and glass cutters which he used to get through a window and into the Long Gallery.
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'Somehow he managed to find the only blind spot in the room which was excluded from our CCTV footage.
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'The fact that there were blind spots in our system is something that I was completely unaware of, but obviously he wasn't.
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'Somehow he managed to find the only blind spot in the room which was excluded from our CCTV footage.
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'The fact that there were blind spots in our system is something that I was completely unaware of, but obviously he wasn't.
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'Clearly no system is perfect.'
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The Viscount, 75, said his family are offering a substantial reward for the safe return of the collection.
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The Viscount, 75, said his family are offering a substantial reward for the safe return of the collection.
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'The last time we had a major burglary was in 1953.
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Of course there have been a few minor incidents over the years, but absolutely nothing of this scale or magnitude.
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'The man completely cleaned out the two cabinets and then cleaned up after himself.
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'Just how he suceeeded in getting back down the ladder with two cabinets worth of valuable porcelain I'll never know,' he said.
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'There were a number of people in the house at the time and nobody noticed a thing. It's a complete mystery.'
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The burglary, which took place on Sunday evening, was over before midnight, but it was not until 9am the following morning when staff realised the elaborate theft had taken place.
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'The man completely cleaned out the two cabinets and then cleaned up after himself.
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'Just how he suceeeded in getting back down the ladder with two cabinets worth of valuable porcelain I'll never know,' he said.
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'There were a number of people in the house at the time and nobody noticed a thing. It's a complete mystery.'
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The burglary, which took place on Sunday evening, was over before midnight, but it was not until 9am the following morning when staff realised the elaborate theft had taken place.
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And it was only when the burglar alarms were triggered by accident, that they were alerted.
And it was only when the burglar alarms were triggered by accident, that they were alerted.
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The Gage family's ancestors have lived at Firle Place for more than 500 years.
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The Gage family's ancestors have lived at Firle Place for more than 500 years.
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The Viscount's family stretch back for centuries and include advisors to King Henry VIII and the man who commanded British forces during the American War of Independence.
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All have resided at Firle Place, which is so grand that it is often used as a film set and is now open to the public.
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The pieces of stolen porcelain had been among the most valuable items on show, including a pair of identical vases made in 1763 and an extremely rare figurine by Hollandaise Nouveau.
All have resided at Firle Place, which is so grand that it is often used as a film set and is now open to the public.
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The pieces of stolen porcelain had been among the most valuable items on show, including a pair of identical vases made in 1763 and an extremely rare figurine by Hollandaise Nouveau.
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Other prized assets on view at the country estate are paintings by the Renaissance artist Raphael and Anthony Van Dyck, who was court painter to King Charles I.
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Lord Gage said he was appalled visitors had lost the chance to see some of their most beautiful artefacts.
Other prized assets on view at the country estate are paintings by the Renaissance artist Raphael and Anthony Van Dyck, who was court painter to King Charles I.
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Lord Gage said he was appalled visitors had lost the chance to see some of their most beautiful artefacts.
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'They were collected by the 3rd Earl Cooper during the 19th century and then came into the family via my mother.
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'It's a very sad loss, especially for the viewing public, as these items were of such great rarity.'
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'They were collected by the 3rd Earl Cooper during the 19th century and then came into the family via my mother.
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'It's a very sad loss, especially for the viewing public, as these items were of such great rarity.'
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A spokesman for Sussex Police said that detectives were pursuing numerous lines of inquiry to recover the priceless antiques.
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