Detective who brought down the Kray twins dies at 95

THE Scotland Yard detective renowned for bringing east London gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray to justice has died at the age of 95.

Leonard “Nipper” Read became a celebrated figure in the Sixties when he led an investigation into the twins’ gangland activities while detective chief superintendent of the Metropolitan Police’s murder squad.

Ronnie Kray had supposedly predicted that if anyone arrested him, it would be Read, whom he described as a “cunning little b-----d”.

Read’s death was announced yesterday by Metropolitan Police Heritage, which tweeted: “We are sad to announce that Leonard ‘Nipper’ Read QPM died this morning aged 95.

“A Met legend, he is best known for his part in bringing the Kray twins to justice and his autobiographies hold places of honour in our collections.”

Read arrested the Krays in 1968 after trailing the brothers for years as they ran their violent underground criminal empire.

His role in bringing the pair to justice was portrayed by Doctor Who actor Christopher Eccleston in the 2015 film Legend.

A lifelong boxing fan, Read served as chairman of the British Boxing Board of Control from 1996 to 2000, and was president from 1997 until 2005.

Boxing promoters Frank Warren and Kellie Maloney were among those who paid tribute to Read who was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 1976.

He published two volumes of memoirs, Nipper (1991) and Nipper Read: The Man Who Nicked the Krays (2001), both written with the help of James Morton, a crime author and former lawyer.