Paul Gorton's holiday post led to burglary 20 minutes later
The Traitors star Paul Gorton's Cheshire home was burgled minutes after he shared a poolside photo from a Mallorca holiday.
Paul Gorton's Cheshire home was burgled just 20 minutes after he shared a holiday photo on social media. The Traitors star had posted a poolside picture with his wife Kate from their family holiday in Mallorca on 28 August, only for thieves to break in via snapped locks and cut the broadband line upon their return.
At 21:10 BST, Gorton posted a photo of himself and Kate by the pool. About 20 minutes after posting, the burglary occurred. The perpetrators broke in through the bi-fold doors at the back of the house using lock snapping. They cut the broadband connection during the burglary. Stolen items included thousands of pounds in cash and valuables. Paul's Specialized bicycle, worth roughly £5,000, was taken. The thieves ransacked his office and bedroom wardrobe. Kate's jewellery box was taken, containing costume jewellery worth a couple hundred pounds and her grandmother's irreplaceable ring. The boys' bedroom, belonging to Charlie and Cooper, was left untouched. Nothing was smashed in the house during the robbery.
Paul Gorton reported the burglary to Cheshire Police, who described it as a 'one-off hit'. Police evidence indicated the house was broken into 20 minutes after they posted in real time from their holiday. Gorton believes the burglary was a 'targeted attack' and suspects someone who follows him on social media committed it. He had been looking into getting contents insurance the night before the holiday but did not proceed. His four-year-old son Charlie later assisted crime scene investigators by handing them items and suggesting what to photograph.
Gorton teams up with Compare the Market on online safety campaign
Following the burglary, Paul Gorton teamed up with Compare the Market on a campaign highlighting the risks of sharing information online. The initiative, called The Online Safety Experiment, surveyed 3,000 UK adults about social media habits while travelling. It also involved a licensed private investigator examining the publicly available digital footprints of nine volunteers.
The experiment's findings were stark. The first lead on a volunteer was found in only 50 seconds. The fastest home address was identified in just 15 minutes. Overall, seven out of nine home addresses were identified using publicly available information. This was despite four of the nine volunteers having private Instagram accounts.
Paul Gorton stated it's not just about social media, but also about locks, alarms, lights, and online posting habits. He hopes others will learn from his misfortune. "Hopefully people can learn from my mistakes," Gorton said. No arrests had been made in the burglary case as of the report's publication on 19 January 2024.
Background on Paul Gorton and the burglary's impact
Paul Gorton is a contestant on the second series of the BBC series The Traitors. Originally from St Helens, he now lives in Cheshire with his partner, content creator Kate Waldron, and their two young sons. The couple have more than 200,000 Instagram followers combined. Gorton previously found television fame in 2010, winning 10p while appearing as a contestant on Deal or No Deal.
The loss of sentimental items, particularly the ring from Kate's grandmother, has been deeply felt. The experience has changed the way Paul Gorton thinks about home security and social media use. He advises people to post only when they are back at home. Paul Gorton hopes others will learn from his misfortune to be more conscientious about posting online.
