Leonard Burt

Who was Leonard Burt?

Leonard Burt, CVO, CBE was a British police officer, involved in several high-profile cases and investigations.

In May 1938, Suffolk businessman William Murfitt was murdered by poisoning at his home in Risby, Suffolk. Burt was one of a pair of detectives sent from Scotland Yard to investigate the sensational murder. The killer was never caught, although the case was solved 60 years later by investigative journalist David Williams.

On 16 June 1945, as a Commander in the Metropolitan Police Special Branch, Burt was assigned to accompany war-time traitor William Joyce back to London to be tried for treason, after Joyce was captured by British forces in Germany.

On 2 February 1950, Burt arrested German atomic spy Klaus Fuchs, who was charged under the Official Secrets Act with espionage for passing British and American atomic secrets to the Soviet Union. Burt was also involved in the investigations into other spies such as Alan Nunn May.

Burt wrote an autobiography entitled Commander Burt of Scotland Yard, published in 1959.