The ‘magpie-like’ London con artist who posed in Warwickshire as a house sitter

From the outside, Ariana Rose appeared to be a woman who lived a lavish lifestyle, driving expensive cars and wearing designer clothes.

But in reality the 40-year-old was a con artist, posing as a house sitter to steal from unsuspecting homeowners, taking silverware, jewellery and even in one case, a Le Creuset Balti pan.

The “magpie-like” thief would not only steal from her victims, targeting those who appeared wealthy with big homes, police said, but in one case made a family dinner and cake when they returned from holiday.

Rose, from London, splashed out on lobster and champagne at luxury hotel Claridge’s, in Mayfair, while living a life beyond her means.

Travelling up and down the country in rented BMW’s, Rose stole from houses in Warwickshire, Hampshire, Somerset, and Suffolk between July and October.

She used online platform Trusted Housesitters to target her victims – pocketing valuables worth £35,000 in Shipston-on-Stour and Southam, in Warwickshire,

Her thefts included a £15,000 tennis bracelet, Christmas ornaments which the owner had been collecting for 27 years as a family tradition, champagne, war medals and a CBE medal that had belonged to the owner’s grandfather.

Officers found some of the stolen items still on her, three months later, when they stopped her on the motorway in November to arrest her.

Inside her car they discovered designer sunglasses, cash, multiple items of jewellery, a Rolex watch and a parcel containing fake US dollars.