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| 'Ex-soldier' raiding Home Counties houses at gunpoint | 'Ex-soldier' raiding Home Counties houses at gunpoint |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A highly professional burglar with a military background is suspected of carrying out series of violent house burglaries across south-east England. | A highly professional burglar with a military background is suspected of carrying out series of violent house burglaries across south-east England. |
| The man stakes out expensive Home Counties properties, armed with a sawn-off shotgun, and knows their exact layout and location of safes by the time he strikes, Surrey Police said. | The man stakes out expensive Home Counties properties, armed with a sawn-off shotgun, and knows their exact layout and location of safes by the time he strikes, Surrey Police said. |
| He has taken jewellery, watches and heirlooms worth about £1m. | He has taken jewellery, watches and heirlooms worth about £1m. |
| Police said he may be "ex-military" and possesses "specialist skills". | Police said he may be "ex-military" and possesses "specialist skills". |
| An appeal has now gone out from four police forces after raids across Berkshire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex between November 2014 and October 2017. | An appeal has now gone out from four police forces after raids across Berkshire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex between November 2014 and October 2017. |
| Det Insp Dee Fielding, who is leading the investigation, said the man strikes approximately every six months and is not "an opportunist burglar". | Det Insp Dee Fielding, who is leading the investigation, said the man strikes approximately every six months and is not "an opportunist burglar". |
| "This is absolutely not an amateur," she said. "He stakes out these houses over a number of days, sometimes for a couple of weeks. We can see that on CCTV he is hiding in gardens - he's looking at houses to establish what the routines are of those within the premises. | "This is absolutely not an amateur," she said. "He stakes out these houses over a number of days, sometimes for a couple of weeks. We can see that on CCTV he is hiding in gardens - he's looking at houses to establish what the routines are of those within the premises. |
| "The skills that he's using includes carrying a firearm. He uses cable-ties to tie up the occupants of the house. When he enters a house where he knows he is going to be outnumbered he still has the confidence and the ability to overpower those people. | "The skills that he's using includes carrying a firearm. He uses cable-ties to tie up the occupants of the house. When he enters a house where he knows he is going to be outnumbered he still has the confidence and the ability to overpower those people. |
| "We believe, based on this, that he may be ex-military or certainly has specialist skills from some sort of [similar] background." | |
| One victim, Susan Morris, 61, said: "He knew exactly how hard to hit me. He hit me three times on my face, it was very painful, I couldn't believe the blows kept coming." | One victim, Susan Morris, 61, said: "He knew exactly how hard to hit me. He hit me three times on my face, it was very painful, I couldn't believe the blows kept coming." |
| Mrs Morris said during the raid at her home in Kingswood, Surrey, in October, the man pointed a gun in her back, hit her head against a wall and dragged her across the floor by her hair. | Mrs Morris said during the raid at her home in Kingswood, Surrey, in October, the man pointed a gun in her back, hit her head against a wall and dragged her across the floor by her hair. |
| All the while he kept demanding more jewellery. | All the while he kept demanding more jewellery. |
| Mrs Morris said at one point she could not get a ring and bracelet off, and added: "I actually thought 'he's going to cut my finger off'." | Mrs Morris said at one point she could not get a ring and bracelet off, and added: "I actually thought 'he's going to cut my finger off'." |
| When her husband returned home from work, he found her still tied up with cables and hiding in a bedroom. | When her husband returned home from work, he found her still tied up with cables and hiding in a bedroom. |
| Describing the man, she said: "I would say he spoke well, he had no accent, he didn't have bad grammar, he's an intelligent man, he knows how to assess the situation and carry this out." | Describing the man, she said: "I would say he spoke well, he had no accent, he didn't have bad grammar, he's an intelligent man, he knows how to assess the situation and carry this out." |
| Police believe the man may be ex-military because of his levels of preparation and his "well-spoken, intelligent" language and manner but they have said he could be a current member of the armed forces or law enforcement. | Police believe the man may be ex-military because of his levels of preparation and his "well-spoken, intelligent" language and manner but they have said he could be a current member of the armed forces or law enforcement. |
| Officers said he operates alone, speaks little, threatens to kill people and their dogs and is "incredibly decisive". | Officers said he operates alone, speaks little, threatens to kill people and their dogs and is "incredibly decisive". |
| On each occasion, the man has used "unnecessary levels of violence", police said. | On each occasion, the man has used "unnecessary levels of violence", police said. |
| Det Insp Fielding said whereas most people would need two hands to use a cable tie, this man is able to tie people up using one hand even while they are struggling. | Det Insp Fielding said whereas most people would need two hands to use a cable tie, this man is able to tie people up using one hand even while they are struggling. |
| The man is thought to have got into houses before the raids to better understand the layout, and has been seen on CCTV staking out targets. | The man is thought to have got into houses before the raids to better understand the layout, and has been seen on CCTV staking out targets. |
| Police say they are looking for someone who may seem to have money disproportionate to their job, and might be travelling or away for long periods of time. | Police say they are looking for someone who may seem to have money disproportionate to their job, and might be travelling or away for long periods of time. |