He’s violent and he’s armed, and when he strikes multi-million pound properties across the UK’s Home Counties he uses “special forces” techniques and military-style expertise.

This is according to The Telegraph, who have reported that police are hunting for the man after he struck “seven times over the past three years in Surrey, Berkshire, Sussex and Kent, making off with more than £7 million in valuables”:

Police believe the first raid took place in November 2014, when two women were attacked in their home near Kingswood Golf Club in Surrey and needed treatment in hospital.

Another couple targeted was Lord and Lady March, who he forced to hand over £700 000 (R11,8 million) in heirlooms after tying them up:

During the raid on the Goodwood estate in January 2016, the Lord, 61, was struck on the head with a blunt object, before being forced to open a safe.

After being bound and gagged, he and his wife lay injured for two hours before a staff member found them and alerted the police.

Among the items stolen were a £400,000 diamond tiara and an emerald ring given by Charles II to Louise de Kerouaille, his mistress.

The attacks occur roughly every six months, leading police to believe that the burglar, dubbed “The Night Watcher”, strikes once he has run out of money from the previous raid.

Although it’s not much, here’s what police know so far:

Detectives said the extraordinary degree of planning and preparation that goes into each raid suggested he has undergone some form of military training, and have not ruled out that he could be a serving soldier.

Police believe the burglar spends months staking out secluded houses, sometimes hiding in the grounds, in order to build up an intimate understanding of the daily movements of his victims.

As well as being an expert in covert surveillance, the raider has also shown athletic prowess, scaling high walls and fences while evading detection by sophisticated security systems.

Police said he also displays a chilling degree of nonchalance, even when entering a property with multiple occupants. Once inside, he uses a sawn-off shotgun, cable ties and extreme violence in order to force the home owners into giving up their valuables.

The raider, who wears a balaclava and dark clothing, usually escapes on foot without leaving any forensic clues.

The victims have described how The Night Watcher is well-spoken and seems to know the layout of their homes, down to details like where safes are hidden.

He even shows a knowledge of their daily routines, often striking late at night, entering unlocked doors or windows and sometimes waiting until owners let their dogs out.

Scary stuff, hey? Watch below to see him in action:

[source:telegraph]