Celebrity chef Marcus Wareing targeted by 'burglary tourists' who flew in from South America

Celebrity chef Marcus Wareing was targeted by a criminal gang who flew in from South America to raid his £5 million Wimbledon home.

Thieves ransacked his home while he and his wife were away in October last year. The gang stole more than £33,000 worth in belongings, including a gold Rolex watch.

It’s believed he was the latest target of 'burglary tourism', which involves foreign criminals flying to the capital to target luxury homes.

The thieves are difficult to track because they are missing from police databases and usually flee the country soon after the raid.

According to the Evening Standard, the four thieves who ransacked Mr Wareing’s home flew to the UK from Chile and were captured by police while on their way to another burglary days later.

Three orange dots were sprayed onto a fence attached to the home to mark it for the raid. Judge Jonathan Davies warned people living in the area to watch out for any more markings.

Danko Carvajal-Donaire, 20, Claudio Donoso, 20, Nicolas Portilla Astorga, 27, and Jorge Rojas, 22, were sentenced at Kingston Crown Court to three years and four months in prison.

The judge reportedly told the criminals no one should view the UK as a "soft-touch", adding that it was clear the only reason they travelled to the UK was to commit the burglary.

The TV chef, who is currently the chief patron of a Michelin-starred restaurant in Knightsbridge, has appeared on cooking shows such as MasterChef.

Alongside the stolen watches, Mr Wareing’s wife Jane’s jewellery, Christian Louboutin shoes and a treasured locket were reportedly stolen during the raid.

In a victim impact statement read to court, the couple described the losses as “enormous” and they were now spending insurance money on improving security at their home.

The four burglars all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle and going equipped to steal.