Friday 17 June 2022 04:46 PM Sinitta's backing singer caught by police drone's thermal imaging camera ... trends now
A singer who kept two dangerous African big cats as pets without a licence was caught after they were spotted by a police drone with a thermal-imaging camera.
Warren Polydorou, 57, who is a former backing singer and dancer for Sinitta, housed his Serval cats in a makeshift enclosure described by police as being in 'the middle of nowhere'.
One of the animals was spotted in a video taken by a police drone as it prowled around its wooden framed enclosure covered with wire mesh in Colby, Norfolk.
An investigation was launched by North Norfolk District Council which ruled the cats were being kept insecurely and could have posed a 'significant' risk to local people if they had escaped.
Warren Polydorou, 57, who is a former backing singer and dancer for Sinitta, housed his Serval cats in a makeshift enclosure described by police as being in 'the middle of nowhere'
Police found the enclosure using a drone with a thermal imaging camera - and filmed one pacing around, seen here at the middle
Polydorou says the cats are not dangerous and would let him stroke and hold them - he added he spent six hours with them every day
Polydorou toured with Sinitta for several years before setting up his own band in 1992, then becoming a solo singer in 2003. His website states he expects to be signed by Sinitta herself 'shortly'
Polydorou admitted to keeping the cats without a licence and was fined £40 by magistrates, as well as being ordered to pay £674 in costs, compensation and a victim surcharge
Simba and Nala used to belong to a friend of the singer, who says he can even cuddle Nala without fear - but he admitted not having the legally required documentation to keep them
Polydorou of Cromer, Norfolk, was found to be the owners of the cats, but did not have the required licence to keep them under the 1976 Dangerous Wild Animals Act.
Serval cats have black spots and are a slender breed of cat native to African grasslands south of the Sahara. They can weigh between 20 and 40lbs.
They can reach speeds of up to 50mph and jump two metres in the air to attack their prey with bites to the throat, and are capable of bringing down young antelope.
Serval cats are sometimes bred with normal cats to create Savannah cats, a hybrid breed which some people keep as domestic pets.
Savannah cats are described as playful, adventurous and loyal. They often like playing in water and can even be trained to walk on a lead.
Cat product producer Purina describes their temperament: 'Savannah Cats have strong hunting instincts, so they aren't always suitable for households with pets like fish, hamsters, and birds.
Singing star Sinitta has lived in the UK most of her life and is well-known as a television personality on shows such as Loose Women
'Her temperament is mild, though, so she's a great companion to other cats and dogs, children and other humans in her home with proper socialization as a kitten.'
The first kitten, named Savannah, was born on April 7, 1986. In the UK, depending on the exact breed a Savannah cat could set you back by up to £16,000.
Polydorou, who now runs karaoke sessions in local pubs, admitted keeping the male and female Serval cats without a licence when he appeared before Norwich magistrates.
He was fined £40 and ordered to pay £674 in costs, compensation and a victim surcharge.
The council said it used powers under the Act to seize the cats and 'remove the associated risks'.
The cats are now being cared for at zoos 'that have the staff, facilities and the expertise required to properly care for big cats'.
Polydorou said today that he had taken on the Serval cats named Simba and Nala as a favour, buying them for £1,500 from a friend in London who had become too ill to look after them.
He said he had expected the previous owner to transfer the licenses to him along with all their identification paperwork, but it never happened.
Polydorou said he kept the cats for 18 months in a spacious enclosure on a friend's land in Colby where he visited them for six hours
