Traitors contestant says holiday posts preceded Cheshire burglary

Traitors contestant Paul Gorton believes social media posts about his family holiday may have helped burglars target his home in Cheshire. Gorton said he posted photographs showing that he and his wife, Kate, were by the pool while their two children were asleep. About 20 minutes later, he said, the house was broken into, although he did not discover the burglary until returning home.

The burglary took place on 28 August. A bicycle and sentimental possessions, including an irreplaceable ring belonging to Kate’s grandmother, were stolen. The intruders entered through rear bi-fold doors using a technique known as lock snapping, then cut the broadband connection.

Gorton said Cheshire Police described the incident as a “one-off hit”, which led him to believe it may have been targeted. He said the perpetrators might have seen his posts and concluded that nobody was at home. Cheshire Police confirmed that investigations were ongoing and that no arrests had been made.

Gorton has since joined a campaign with Compare the Market about the risks of sharing information online. A licensed private investigator examined the publicly available digital footprints of nine volunteers and identified seven home addresses. The fastest address was found in 15 minutes, with the first lead located in 50 seconds.

Gorton said people should consider not only what they post but also locks, alarms, lighting and other details that might reveal a property is empty. He advised people to share holiday updates after returning home rather than while away.