Stolen Family Heirloom Clock Returns After Nearly a Decade
Paul Janes was left stunned after being reunited with a priceless clock handed down from his grandfather 97 years ago – stolen during a 2015 burglary.
A Clock with a Story
The clock originally belonged to Paul’s grandfather, Leonard King, who was gifted the timepiece after helping a Maidstone Borough Police officer arrest two violent prisoners on Boxing Day, 1925.
Burglary Shattered Family Home
On the night of January 15, 2015, Paul and his wife Annette returned from a night out to find their house broken into and ransacked. Among the missing items was the treasured family clock.
Despite reporting the incident, the police investigation eventually went cold due to a lack of leads.
Boot Sale Discovery Sparks Clock’s Homecoming
Years later, the stolen clock surfaced at a boot sale in Ford, West Sussex, where it was bought and later sold on eBay. An anonymous eBay buyer noticed the clock’s personalised plaque and grew suspicious about its origins.
The buyer researched Leonard King, found a newspaper article about the burglary, and tried to contact a local radio station. When that failed, he alerted Sussex Police.
Hastings CID detectives then reached out to Paul and Annette with the news – their clock had been found.
“I was absolutely astounded and delighted,” said Paul. “I am eternally grateful to the finder, who let me cover his purchase fee in exchange for a donation to a firefighters’ benevolent fund. He was a former Metro firefighter who retired a few years ago.”
Detective Sergeant Chris Milner added, “We were delighted to be able to reunite this item with the owner. This case shows how vital police work is, including listing stolen items on property databases and keeping the public informed through media releases.”
