Heist gang far from ‘Ocean’s Eleven’

UK suspects are believed to include two geriatrics and a man suffering from incontinence

The press has compared the gang alleged to be behind one of Britain’s most audacious jewellery heists to the glamorous thieves of Hollywood movie Ocean’s Eleven, but the reality is much less glamorous.

Rather than George Clooney and Brad Pitt, the group believed to be behind April’s daring raid on a London safedeposit facility includes two geriatrics and a man suffering from incontinence.

A red-haired man known as “Basil”, who allegedly let the men into the jewellery vault through a fire escape, has not yet been identified, adding an air of mystery to a story begging for a film adaptation.

The burglary at Hatton Garden, long known as London’s jewellery quarter, was the “largest burglary in English legal history” prosecutor Philip Evans said. Four of the defendants, including the 76-yearold mastermind, have already pleaded guilty.

Taking advantage of a long Easter weekend in early April, prosecutors told London’s Old Bailey court that the gang broke into the vault of central London’s Hatton Garden Safe Deposit company.

Disguised as gas workers and fitted with hard hats, it is claimed they rappelled down an elevator shaft then used a diamond-tipped industrial drill to bore three large holes in a concrete wall 50cm thick.

Video surveillance recorded the comings and goings as 73 safes were emptied to net a booty worth an estimated £14 million (Dh78 million) in gold, sapphires, diamonds, jewellery, luxury watches and cash.

The raid was only discovered the following Tuesday. As details crystallised, it became clear that the comparison to the sophisticated Hollywood heist was not entirely justified.

Alleged mastermind Brian Reader is believed to have ditched the raid on the first night, having arrived at the scene of the crime by bus using a senior’s free travel pass.

The court also heard that suspect Terry Perkins, 67, was secretly recorded boasting of having carried out the “biggest robbery” in the world in his bugged Citroen Saxo. Another accused, William “Bill” Lincoln, 60, suffers from incontinence and wet himself when arrested, according to police.