<center><a href="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/aldeburgh-golf-club-sign.jpg"><img src="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/aldeburgh-golf-club-sign.jpg" alt="Rule note at Aldeburgh Golf Club" width="1194" height="924" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4530" /></a></center><br><br>

<b>Rob Banks, Crime Editor

Golfers at one of Suffolk's poshest courses have been warned about a "large brown coloured Burmese cat" which is stealing golf balls from the 14th hole. A genuine letter on Aldeburgh Golf Club noticeboard, sent to this newspaper by a recent visitor and reproduced above, highlights a local rule that can be employed to replace the ball with no penalty.</b>

But while that maintains fairness on the fairways, there seems to be no attempt to catch the cat burglar who is clearly terrorising members and presumably sitting on a golf ball mountain.


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It seemed an ideal mystery for our investigations unit to solve. At first they failed to find a fiendish feline on the course, but they did soon found other cats they hoped could help find the golf club thief.

Near the Moot Hall they found Trevor, who was drinking alone at the popular Mill Inn pub.

<center><a href="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/drunk-cat-e1472675819276.jpg"><img src="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/drunk-cat-e1472675819276.jpg" alt="Cat is drunk at Aldeburgh pub" width="999" height="749" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4534" /></a><i>Clever Trevor: so drunk he could hardly stand on his own four feet</center></i><br><br>

Trevor was on his fourth pint of Adnams when we found him, and was having trouble seeing straight. "I don't even know what golf is," he said in a loud and increasingly agitated voice. "Did you just spill my beer?"

He was distressed and demanded to know what our cameraman was looking at, when the landlord stepped in before there was a cat fight.

We left and headed for the beach, where many people were enjoying the afternoon sun. Lazing about on a deckchair was Colin, who was ginger and therefore risking terrible sunstroke.

<center><a href="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/cat-nap-on-beach.jpg"><img src="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/cat-nap-on-beach.jpg" alt="Cat nap on Aldeburgh beach" width="720" height="450" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4532" /></a><i>Cat nap: Colin catches forty winks</center></i><br><br>

Colin did not believe he had heard of the trouble on the golf course, but he did warn us against trying to talk to a boss-eyed cat called Trevor. "He's trouble," Colin said, unaware we had already come within a whisker of fighting him.

Further the up the beach was Delilah, who was busy guarding the famous beach scallop sculpture created by Maggi Hambling in honour of Benjamin Britten.

<center><a href="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/cat-scallop-e1472675655178.jpg"><img src="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/cat-scallop-e1472675655178.jpg" alt="cat playing on the scallop sculpture at Aldeburgh" width="999" height="660" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4533" /></a><i>Why, why, why? Delilah on the scallop</center></i><br><br>

"Have you come to deface the scallop?" Delilah demanded as we approached. "Of course not," our Editor said as stopped in our tracks, before adding adding: "Surely nobody would do such as thing?"

"Well it's not unusual," replied Delilah, who was originally from Wales but moved to Aldeburgh with her owner, a Mr T Jones.

Delilah had not even heard of Aldeburgh Golf Club, but advised us to try Larry, who would likely be getting his lunch from the famous Aldeburgh fish and chip shop.

Sure enough, we found Larry leaving the premises with his grub.

<center><a href="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/cat-Aldeburgh-fish-and-chip-shop.jpg"><img src="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/cat-Aldeburgh-fish-and-chip-shop.jpg" alt="Cat gets fish and chips in Aldeburgh" width="1007" height="684" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4531" /></a><i>Catfish and chips: Larry leaving posh chippie</center></i><br><br>

To our delight, Larry said he knew the cat burglar - and would even take us to him... so long as we paid for his lunch. It was a small price to pay for exposing the Aldeburgh criminal mastermind.

Larry led us to the 14th hole at the golf course. He made a quick phone call and within minutes a masked

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