Workman-Wannabe Burglars Nabbed After £250k London Heist Spree
Two crafty crooks posing as workmen have been caged for a series of daring London break-ins, including stealing a whopping £210,000 from a Whitechapel high street bank.
Masked Bandits Busted After High-Stakes Bank Raid
Jason Perry, 48, from Waltham Forest, landed an eight-year stretch for masterminding six burglaries, while his accomplice Paul Thompson, 50, from Ealing, was handed three years for four break-ins and a stolen car in Leytonstone.
The pair struck between July and September 2019, often seen masked and using walkie talkies to co-ordinate their crimes. They pulled off their heists by pretending to be workmen, opening manhole covers and snipping alarm cables to disable security systems.
How They Pulled Off the £210,000 Bank Job
- On 28 June 2019, CCTV caught Perry supervising a co-conspirator in high-vis outside the Whitechapel bank.
- They accessed the bank through a building site next door after punching a hole in the wall.
- The duo shuttled back and forth carrying bags from cash machines, before speeding off at 1:07am.
- They returned the next morning to keep looting.
Crime Spree Hits Shops, Supermarkets and Leisure Centre
- Between August and September 2019, the criminals targeted shops in Lea Bridge Road, Rom Valley Way, Ravenside Retail Park, and Ilford.
- Thompson was spotted masked stealing £2,500 worth of booze from a supermarket.
- Perry and Thompson tried breaking into a bank on High Road, Ilford using walkie talkies to stay in touch.
- On 15 September, the pair were caught cutting cables at Leyton Leisure Centre before forcing fire exit doors.
Undercover Sting Leads to Arrests
Police arrested Perry at the leisure centre, while Thompson fled but was caught hours later. Home raids uncovered stolen goods, cash, walkie talkies, and the mask Thompson had used – all solid proof pinning the crimes on them.
“Both Perry and Thompson are career burglars who targeted multiple businesses over four months, causing significant losses,” said Det. Constable David Reed from the Met’s Flying Squad.
“They carefully planned their offences, cutting cables to disable alarms and CCTV. Thanks to our operation, we collected strong evidence forcing their guilty pleas. They’re rightly behind bars where they belong.”
