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Copycat cat burglar brothers' Essex crime spree | Copycat cat burglar brothers' Essex crime spree |
(2 days later) | |
An Essex couple is hoping to reunite neighbours with stolen goods and put an end to their two cats' thieving ways. | An Essex couple is hoping to reunite neighbours with stolen goods and put an end to their two cats' thieving ways. |
Brothers Eric and Ernie have brought home more than 100 items to owners Margaret and Eddie Boddy in Braintree. | Brothers Eric and Ernie have brought home more than 100 items to owners Margaret and Eddie Boddy in Braintree. |
Their finds include shoes, slippers and gloves, and they almost got away with a cub scout uniform, but were spotted. | Their finds include shoes, slippers and gloves, and they almost got away with a cub scout uniform, but were spotted. |
Mrs Boddy said she had shown both cats £5 and £10 notes in the hope they might bring home "something other than a mangled item of clothing". | Mrs Boddy said she had shown both cats £5 and £10 notes in the hope they might bring home "something other than a mangled item of clothing". |
The cats, aged about four, have been honing their criminal ways since they were rescued as kittens after being abandoned at the side of a road. | The cats, aged about four, have been honing their criminal ways since they were rescued as kittens after being abandoned at the side of a road. |
Career criminals | Career criminals |
"The first thing they brought us was a shuttlecock, which they stole while watching the neighbour's children playing badminton," Mrs Boddy said. | "The first thing they brought us was a shuttlecock, which they stole while watching the neighbour's children playing badminton," Mrs Boddy said. |
Since then, they have given the couple "a vast number of children's shoes", often in pairs. | Since then, they have given the couple "a vast number of children's shoes", often in pairs. |
"They will bring one home one day, and the next day the matching shoe will arrive," she said. | "They will bring one home one day, and the next day the matching shoe will arrive," she said. |
"Somewhere there is a man watching television with cold feet because we have both of his slippers, which say, 'Keep quiet, I'm watching football', on the front." | "Somewhere there is a man watching television with cold feet because we have both of his slippers, which say, 'Keep quiet, I'm watching football', on the front." |
Mrs Boddy said Ernie, the smaller of the two, was the more prolific thief but Eric had also brought back "a fair share of treasures and the occasional mouse". | Mrs Boddy said Ernie, the smaller of the two, was the more prolific thief but Eric had also brought back "a fair share of treasures and the occasional mouse". |
She and her husband have come to recognise Ernie's "special miaow". | She and her husband have come to recognise Ernie's "special miaow". |
"It's his way of telling us he's found something new for us," Mrs Boddy said. | "It's his way of telling us he's found something new for us," Mrs Boddy said. |
She has managed to return some items to neighbours, but many others have been donated to charity shops. | She has managed to return some items to neighbours, but many others have been donated to charity shops. |
"It does feel a bit like I'm handling stolen goods sometimes," she added. | "It does feel a bit like I'm handling stolen goods sometimes," she added. |
Eric and Ernie have now joined the prolific band of career cat criminals in the east which include Theo in Ipswich, and Denis in Luton, a cat burglar with his own Facebook page, Twitter account and range of T-shirts. |
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