Britain’s oldest career criminal is back in jail

A professional burglar who started his life of crime during WWII is back behind bars.

Richard Blaylock, 76, has spent a total of 43 years in prison for a string of break-ins which began in 1943 when he was just 11-years-old.

Yesterday he was jailed again for 90 days after he was stopped by police carrying a burglar’s tool-kit on the streets of Carlisle in the early hours of July 2.


Photo from here.

He was found to be in possession of a crowbar, two screwdrivers, a chisel, a gas burner, a knife, a set of batteries, a torch and a magnifying glass.

Blaylock claimed he was only going to take some wood to make a new exercise run for his ferrets. But he later admitted going equipped for burglary and was jailed for three months.

District Judge Gerald Chalk described him as a “historic professional burglar,” while neighbours said more simply that he was a “thieving old bugger.”