page_title: Harry Edward Vickers
hierarchical_section_title: Harry Edward Vickers
caption_attribution_description: English: Rifleman
context_page_description: Harry Edward Vickers, was a notorious and elusive "cat burglar" who was active in the 1930s.
  He wore flannel over his shoes to muffle his footsteps which earned him the nickname Flannelfoot.
  His ability to avoid detection and capture by the Metropolitan Police was, for many years, the subject of media sensationalism. Whilst the Met had determined his identity and his address, they lacked sufficient proof to make an arrest and so planned to catch him red handed. He was eventually arrested for "being in possession of housebreaking implements at night", having been followed from his home. He was sentenced at Middlesex Sessions Court on 2 December 1937, receiving five years penal servitude for housebreaking.
  Harry's unique method of burglary was the cause of his notoriety. He would use rags or cloth taken from the houses he burgled, and use them to muffle his footsteps. He would also steal and later discard a bicycle as part of his getaway. The rags were also discarded. Upon finding these items, police were able to attribute the crime to Flannelfoot with confidence. Harry would also open windows by drilling a single hole close to the latch.
context_section_description: Harry Edward Vickers, (29 April 1888 – 6 December 1942) was a notorious and elusive "cat burglar" who was active in the 1930s.
  He wore flannel over his shoes to muffle his footsteps which earned him the nickname Flannelfoot.
  His ability to avoid detection and capture by the Metropolitan Police was, for many years, the subject of media sensationalism. Whilst the Met had determined his identity and his address, they lacked sufficient proof to make an arrest and so planned to catch him red handed. He was eventually arrested for "being in possession of housebreaking implements at night", having been followed from his home. He was sentenced at Middlesex Sessions Court on 2 December 1937, receiving five years penal servitude for housebreaking.
  Harry's unique method of burglary was the cause of his notoriety. He would use rags or cloth taken from the houses he burgled, and use them to muffle his footsteps. He would also steal and later discard a bicycle as part of his getaway. The rags were also discarded. Upon finding these items, police were able to attribute the crime to Flannelfoot with confidence. Harry would also open windows by drilling a single hole close to the latch. This was yet another clue that the burglar was Flannelfoot. Clearly a nickname was required in the years before he was identified.
caption: 9th Battalion, Rifle Brigade
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