With the release of The Bank Job on 28th February revealing a true-life heist of a bank in 1971 Baker Street, London. Starring Jason Statham the story involves murder, corruption and a sex scandal with links to the Royal Family. The robbery was one of the biggest in UK history; we look over the top 5 robberies in the last 50 years.
1.Baker Street: September 1971
The Bank Job became known as the 'walkie-talkie bank job' because of a fluke tip-off from a member of the public who overheard the robbers talking on a two-way radio. In September 1971, thieves tunneled into the vault of a bank in Londons Baker Street and looted safe deposit boxes of cash and jewellery worth millions and millions of pounds. None of it was recovered. Nobody was ever arrested. The robbery made headlines for a few days and then disappeared - the result of a UK Government D Notice, gagging the press.
2. Northern Bank: December 2004
A gang stole £26.4m from the headquarters of the Northern Bank in Belfast - the largest amount of cash ever taken in a robbery in the UK.
The bank had to withdraw its notes and replace them with new ones with different logos and colours. Most of the stolen cash has yet to be recovered.
3. Millennium Dome: November 2000
Police foiled the attempted theft of £200m worth of diamonds on display at the tourist attraction in South London.
The robbers were caught as they smashed their way into the Dome with a JCB digger and had planned their escape up the river Thames on a speedboat.
But senior police officers, suspicious of a plan to steal the diamonds, mounted a sophisticated operation to thwart it.
4. City of London: May 1990
A financial messenger was robbed of £292m worth of bonds at knifepoint in a quiet City of London side street.
The messenger was taking Bank of England Treasury bills and certificates of deposit from banks and building societies.
The bonds were in bearer form and as good as cash to anyone holding them. Police believed the mugging was carried out by Patrick Thomas, a small-time crook from south London, who was found shot dead before being charged. The police recovered all but two of the 301 bonds thanks to an informant.
5. The Great Train Robbery: August 1963
Armed robbers, including Ronnie Biggs, stole £2.6m from the Glasgow-London Royal Mail train. The robbers stopped the train by turning off a green track signal and turning on a red one.
The gang members were caught and sentenced to jail terms of up to 30 years. Biggs later escaped from Wandsworth prison and fled to Brazil. He returned to Britain in 2001 to serve the remainder of his sentence.
Bank Job is released 28th February
View the Bank Job gallery.