Gang Targets Ted Lasso Homes in £2m Robbery Spree.
A gang is being hunted after a series of raids targeting multimillion-pound homes featured in the popular TV comedy Ted Lasso. The homes, located around London’s Richmond Green, were targeted in a spree believed to be worth £2 million.
Houses were targeted in London’s Richmond Green
Locals suspect that the gang’s interest in the properties stemmed from their prominence in the Apple TV+ series, which stars Jason Sudeikis and Hannah Waddingham. Four homes, including a £3.3 million property used by Waddingham’s character, Rebecca Welton, were ransacked by professional criminals.
One of the victims, rock star Richard Ashcroft, had about £1 million worth of valuables stolen from his home, including a Patek Philippe watch. Residents fear they will be the next targets, with one local saying, “It’s devastating. People are terrified they are going to be hit next.”
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The first home to be raided was an eight-bedroom property on November 2, where burglars stole a safe containing jewellery. The tenants, traumatised by the incident, reportedly moved out immediately after. In early December, raiders attempted to break into Waddingham’s character’s businesswoman home but fled when the occupants were woken. A few weeks later, on December 18, another property was raided, and £400,000 worth of jewellery was stolen from a bolted-down safe. The occupants had only just left, leading neighbours to believe the burglars had been watching the house.
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The most high-profile raid occurred on December 29, when Ashcroft and his wife, Kate Radley, had their £8 million home targeted while they were away. The burglars made off with about £1 million worth of items, including the valuable watch. A neighbour reported hearing the alarms but noted that the raiders had already fled by the time police arrived. “The police would have stood a good chance of catching the gang if they turned up when called. But now the gang are free to find their next target. We’re all now living in fear,” said the neighbour.
The police are linking the break-ins to a team of professional burglars, believed to be from South America. The suspects, described as four olive-skinned individuals wearing caps and gloves, reportedly wielded crowbars and had two others keeping watch during the heists.
Residents suspect that the gang’s targeting of Richmond Green was influenced by the success of Ted Lasso, which is set in the area and showcases its luxurious homes and Georgian buildings. “You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to work out that someone from the gang probably watched the programme at some point. They must have realised the rich pickings to be had from the area,” one local said.
There are concerns that the same gang could be behind other burglaries in the wider Richmond area, and locals have met with police to discuss their fears. Met Temporary Det Supt Dan O’Sullivan assured the public that “we are aware of a number of burglaries in the Richmond Green area and are taking proactive steps to deter offenders and reassure residents.” O’Sullivan added that investigations are ongoing, and the break-ins are believed to be linked.
