The Johnson Gang

The Johnson Gang is the collective name for a group of Romanichal criminals from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, who specialised in stealing fine art and antiques from English country houses over a period of 20 years.

[4] In 2005, the BBC made a documentary about the family called Summer with the Johnsons, in which they spoke about their love of such pursuits as hare coursing and bare-knuckle boxing.

[5] Notable thefts include Waddesdon Manor on 10 June 2003, a National Trust property and former Rothschild family residence near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire.

[8] On 1 February 2006, the gang perpetrated their biggest theft when they burgled Ramsbury Manor, the home of Harry Hyams, near Marlborough in Wiltshire.

[1] In October 2005, the police forces of Gloucestershire, Thames Valley, Warwickshire, and West Mercia pooled their resources under the name "Operation Haul".

The police spent weeks examining CCTV footage, mobile phone records and images from speed cameras as they investigated 116 offences ranging from country house burglaries to cash dispenser thefts.

[5] Since the arrests in 2006, Thames Valley Police have seen a 90 per cent reduction in offences attributable to the group, and across all areas there has been a dramatic decrease in country house burglaries, and in cash machine and metal thefts.