Pensioner has stolen pocket watches returned

A pensioner who lost his treasured  pocket watch collection when a burglar raided his house has had most of the timepieces returned thanks to the WalesOnline.

Last week we told the story of how George Thorne woke up one morning to find a thief  had climbed through his open kitchen window and made off with his collection of more than 30 watches.

But now, following our appeal, the 70-year-old has had the majority of his precious watches returned.

“After the story ran in [WalesOnline’s sister paper] the Echo someone came to me and said ‘I know  where your watches are’,” he said.

“He said he had seen them in someone’s house.”

Mr Thorne said he then gave £20 to the man, who he did not want to name, in exchange for the watches’ safe return.

The retired steelworker, who was asleep in bed at the time the burglar crept through his house sometime between Sunday, July 21 and Monday,  July 22, has since been handed the majority of his collection back.

“There’s still a few missing, around eight or nine, which is frustrating but overall I can’t complain as I’ve got most  of them back,” he said.

 

Among the watches which haven’t  been returned are a number of brass coloured pieces with fox and hounds motifs on the back.

George, of Metal Street,  Adamsdown, Cardiff, said his collection is not worth a significant amount but that it had huge sentimental value to him having taken 15 years to build up.

“If it wasn’t for them appearing in the Echo and the fact that people know me around here then I doubt I would have got them back,” he said.

A spokeswoman for South Wales  Police said: “We are pleased that Mr Thorne has been reunited with his medals however we are still keen to find out where they have been since the burglary on July 22.”

Anyone with information regarding the burglary and the remaining missing watches is asked  to contact Cardiff CID on 02920 527  420 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555  111 quoting occurrence  62130225859.