09th January 2012
TV star's stolen car returned after burglary
TV host Graham Norton has had his stolen car returned after making a radio plea following the burglary of his Wapping home.
Mr Norton returned home in the early hours of Saturday morning to find that his house had been broken into and his black Lexus hybrid 4x4 had been stolen.
The comic told listeners on his BBC Two radio show that he had come home to find the kitchen knife draw disturbed and immediately feared that his pets had been harmed.
"When I discovered the dogs were safe I realised everything else was just 'stuff' and can be replaced," he said.
It was an hour before he realised that his £40,000 car had been stolen.
Mr Norton then gave out a description of the car's appearance and its registration number.
He urged listeners not to approach anyone seen with the vehicle, and to instead contact the police if it was spotted.
The vehicle was later recovered, but the presenter admitted that the return had been due to the onboard tracker rather than his radio show and his appeal on Twitter.
It was found seven miles away in Rathmell Drive, Clapham.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said that the burglary most likely took place sometime between 7.45pm and midnight on Friday (January 8th).
"There have been no arrests so far and inquiries are continuing," he said.
He added that there is no evidence that the address was targeted.
It is not the first time that Mr Norton has been a victim of crime.
Two years ago, he revealed through his column with the Daily Telegraph that he had been attacked in a violent street mugging in 1989.
He is not the only celebrity to have been a victim of a burglary in recent months.
Stoke City footballer Peter Crouch had his £4.5 million mansion broken into while he and wife Abbey Clancy were out.
Posted by Penelope Fitzgerald
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