A singer who kept two dangerous African big cats as pets without permits has been caught after they were spotted by a police drone carrying a thermal imaging camera.
Warren Polydorou, 57, a former Sinitta backup singer and dancer, housed his serval cats in a makeshift enclosure described by police as “in the middle of nowhere.”
One of the animals was spotted in video captured by a police drone as it roamed around its wire mesh-covered wooden-framed enclosure in Colby, Norfolk.
North Norfolk District Council launched an inquiry which ruled the cats were being kept unsafe and could have posed a “significant” risk to local residents had they escaped.
Warren Polydorou, 57, a former Sinitta backup singer and dancer, housed his serval cats in a makeshift enclosure described by police as “in the middle of nowhere.”
Police found the enclosure using a drone with a thermal imaging camera – and filmed one walking around, seen here in the middle
Polydorou toured with Sinitta for several years before forming his own band in 1992 and becoming a solo singer in 2003. His website says he expects to be signed by Sinitta himself “soon”.
Polydorou admitted keeping the cats without a license and was fined £40 and paid £674 in costs, compensation and a victim’s surcharge by judges
Polydorou of Cromer, Norfolk was found to be the owner of the cats but he did not have the required license to keep them under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976.
Black spotted, serval cats are a sleek breed of cat native to sub-Saharan African grasslands. They can weigh anywhere from 20 to 40 pounds.
They can reach speeds of up to 80 km/h, leap two meters in the air to attack their prey with bites to the throat and are capable of tripping young antelope.
Serval cats are sometimes bred with regular cats to create Savannah cats, a hybrid breed that some people keep as pets.
Savannah cats are described as playful, adventurous, and loyal. They often enjoy playing in the water and can even be trained to walk on a leash.
Cat product manufacturer Purina describes their temperament: “Savannah cats have a strong hunting instinct, so they are not always well suited to households with pets such as fish, hamsters and birds.
Singer Sinitta has lived in the UK for most of her life and is best known as a television personality on shows such as Loose Women
“However, her temperament is mild, so she makes a great companion for other cats and dogs, children, and other people in her home with proper kitten socialization.”
The first kitten named Savannah was born on April 7, 1986. In the UK, a Savannah cat can cost up to £16,000 depending on the breed.
Polydorou, who now runs karaoke sessions at local pubs, admitted to having kept the male and female Serval cats without a license when he appeared before Norwich magistrates.
He was fined £40 and ordered to pay £674 in costs, damages and victim’s surcharge.
The council said it used the law’s powers to confiscate the cats and “eliminate the risks involved”.
The cats are now cared for in zoos “that have the staff, facilities and expertise needed to properly care for big cats.”
Polydorou said today he adopted the Serval cats, named Simba and Nala, as favors and bought them for £1,500 from a friend in London who had become too ill to take care of them.
He said he expected the previous owner to transfer the licenses to him along with all their ID documents, but it never happened.
Polydorou said he kept the cats in a spacious enclosure on a friend’s land in Colby for 18 months, where he visited them for six hours every day.
He added: “The previous owner raised her in a Land Rover and I took her straight to my friend’s.
“I had her in a pen with half an acre of space. They had plenty of space and were well taken care of.
“I fed them Lidl chickens and dead pheasants during the season.
“I spent six hours a day with them and hand fed them. They really were just giant kitties.
“They were never a threat to anyone. The last thing they would do is eat someone.
“They were very sweet and I was able to pet them both. I could literally cuddle the female.
“They were big cats, but that’s the way it is with any animal. They thrive when you take good care of them.
“I applied halfway for a license but the council turned me down because you have to have the housing checked before you get cats.”
Polydorou said he was devastated when the council confiscated three-year-old Simba and two-year-old Nala and placed them in unidentified separate zoos.
A council spokesman said serval cats are classified as “dangerous wildlife” and must be “kept in circumstances that pose no risk to the public”.
James Windsor, an environmental health officer for the council, said: “This has been an extremely serious case for the council.
“The discovery of two servals being held in the district in accommodations not built to prevent their escape put the local community at significant risk.
“Effectively recapturing an escaped animal would have presented significant challenges.
“We are aware that there is a general trend in the UK to keep servals private as they are used to breed Savannah cats, which is an extremely lucrative business.
“The Council will not hesitate to take decisive action when dangerous wildlife is being held without a permit and in a way that endangers public safety.
Serval cats are classified as wild animals and can reach speeds of up to 50 mph, although some weigh as little as 20 pounds
Savannah cats can make loving pets when socialized as kittens and can cost up to £16,000
“We are extremely grateful to the Norfolk Police Rural Crime Team for their assistance in both uncovering this crime and bringing the matter to a satisfactory conclusion.”
The Norfolk Police’s Norfolk Rural Crime Unit thanked the Council for their work and cooperation.
In a post showing video of the cat captured by a drone thermal camera, the force said: “A big thank you to North Norfolk District Council for working with us when we discovered this issue.
“We found that out ourselves during a drone flight because it just didn’t look right. I can’t imagine why in the middle of nowhere.”
A Norfolk Police spokesman said: “Police were flying a drone in the area to investigate intelligence reports and spotted the structure.”
A biography on Polydorou’s website states that he graduated from the Laines School of Theater Arts in Surrey.
He appeared on TV variety shows and performed with the likes of Little and Large and Russ Abbott before becoming a backing vocalist and dancer for Sinitta in the 1980s.
His biography states that he “traveled around the world” with her for a number of years, performing in countries such as Japan, Spain and Switzerland.
Polydorou says he’s become “great friends” with the singer and her manager Simon Cowell.
In 1992 he formed his own band called Perfect World. The band only played music written by Warren and they performed at many London venues and later on Sky TV’s Where It’s At.
In 2003 he returned to his hometown of Cromer, writing his own songs and performing at local pubs and venues.
According to his website: “Then he decided to try going out and singing alone. He bought all his gear himself and now goes to clubs. Restaurants and some pubs with its own small establishment.
“Not only does Warren play his own songs, he also sings covers ranging from James Blunt to the blues brothers Mustang Sally.”
He adds that he expects “to be signed shortly by Sinitta himself.”
Sinitta is an American singer who has lived most of her life in Great Britain. She is known as a famous TV personality and appeared on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in 2011.
In her golden era, she produced hits like “So Macho”, “Toy Boy”, “Cross My Broken Heart” and “Right Back Where We Started From” in the 1980s.