Pickles was a black and white Collie dog renowned for his role in finding the stolen

Theft of the Jules Rimet Trophy

The Jules Rimet Trophy, awarded to the winner of the football World Cup, was stolen in 1966 prior to the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England. The trophy was later recovered...

 Jules Rimet Trophy in 1966.

Overview

The trophy had been stolen during a rare public stamp exhibition at Westminster Central Hall

Westminster Central Hall

The Westminster Central Hall or Methodist Central Hall is a Methodist church in the City of Westminster. It occupies the corner of Tothill Street and Storeys Gate just off Victoria Street in London, near the junction with The Sanctuary next to the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre and facing...

, on the afternoon of Sunday 20 March, just four months before the 1966 FIFA World Cup

1966 FIFA World Cup

The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...

 in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 was scheduled to kick-off. The thief ignored rare stamps with a value of £3 million to steal the trophy which was worth far less. Police received a £15,000 ransom demand. However, when they arrested the culprit, he turned out to be a hoaxer. The trophy was found just seven days later wrapped in newspaper at the bottom of a suburban garden hedge in Beulah Hill, South Norwood

South Norwood

South Norwood is an urban town and in south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a suburban development 7.8 miles south-east of Charing Cross. South Norwood is an electoral with a resident population in 2001 of just over 14,000...

, South London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, by Pickles while taking a walk with his owner David Corbett. When England

England national football team

The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

 won the trophy, as a reward, Pickles was invited to the celebration banquet and was allowed to lick his owner's bowl. His owner collected a £6,000 reward (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £169,000 in 2009). The thief was never caught. Suspicion of involvement was attached briefly to Pickles and his owner.

Pickles starred with Eric Sykes

Eric Sykes

Eric Sykes, CBE is an English radio, television and film writer, actor and director whose performing career has spanned more than 50 years. He frequently wrote for and/or performed with many other leading comedy performers and writers of the period, including Tony Hancock, Spike Milligan, Peter...

 and June Whitfield

June Whitfield

June Rosemary Whitfield, CBE is an English actress, well known in the United Kingdom since the 1950s for roles in radio and television comedy series....

 in the 1966 film The Spy With the Cold Nose

The Spy with a Cold Nose

The Spy with a Cold Nose is a 1966 British comedy film directed by Daniel Petrie.-Cast:* Laurence Harvey as Dr. Francis Trevelyan* Daliah Lavi as Princess Natasha Romanova* Lionel Jeffries as Stanley Farquhar* Eric Sykes as Wrigley...

.

Pickles died in 1967 when he choked on his lead while chasing a cat.
He was buried in his owner's back garden.
An entirely fictional version of the story was told in a 2006 ITV

ITV

ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...

 drama written by Michael Chaplin

Michael Chaplin (writer/producer)

Michael Chaplin is an English radio, television, theatre, and non-fiction writer and former TV executive and producer.He began his career as a print and television journalist...

, called Pickles: The Dog Who Won The World Cup. He was voiced by Harry Enfield

Harry Enfield

Henry Richard "Harry" Enfield is a BAFTA-winning English comedian, actor, writer and director.-Early life:...

.