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Man charged with stealing £1m worth of streetlamps and ornate lanterns across UK
Police recovered about 300 lights in Barkway while John O’Sullivan faces 38 theft counts over lamps stolen from councils, churches and schools.
John Sullivan, 20, faces 38 theft charges for allegedly stealing 45 streetlamps and lanterns worth an estimated £1million across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Durham, Essex, Hertfordshire, and Thames Valley.
Hertfordshire Police recovered approximately 300 lights at a Barkway property during their investigation, discovering lamps stolen from councils, businesses, churches, schools, and private owners.
Among items recovered were Grade II-listed Richardson Candles, 1950s street lamps taken from Cambridge. Sullivan faces seven additional theft offences in Hertfordshire between September 17, 2025 and March 17, 2026.
John Sullivan is due to appear at Stevenage Magistrates Court on August 5 to face the charges. Details about thefts in Essex have not been released.
Two others, Anna Sullivan, 66, and Richard Sullivan, 67, both of Barkway, have been charged with handling stolen goods and are set to appear at Stevenage Magistrates Court on August 12.