Researchers at the University of Portsmouth in England have come up with the bizarre finding that if serial burglars put their skills to lawful use they could be as talented as surgeons or pilots.
According to today's Daily Telegraph, the research, published in the British Journal of Criminology, found that many of the thieves interviewed had qualities found in expert professionals.
Their findings follow interviews with 50 serial burglars at Winchester Prison. They believe that had the felons focused on a lawful job they could have climbed to the top of the career ladder.
Their study, Expert Decision-Making in Burglars, published in the British Journal of Criminology, suggests thieves should be classed alongside professional men and women because they perform complicated tasks automatically and with a high degree of skill.