Police ignored alarm in diamond heist

SCOTLAND Yard could be forced to pay out millions in compensation after admitting it did not respond to a burglar alarm triggered by the Hatton Garden gem heist.

Officers were informed that the warning had been triggered shortly after midnight on Good Friday. But they decided that the possibility of a burglary did not need immediate investigation. Instead, a private security guard is understood to have made a cursory check of the building.

The news came as dramatic footage emerged of the professional gang who broke into the basement of the building in the heart of London’s jewellery district. Images obtained by the Daily Mirror show three of the raiders using wheelie bins to remove millions of pounds worth of jewellery and valuables.

In the footage one of the robbers – who has been dubbed Mr Strong – can be seen dragging a black wheelie bin down into a basement. He was wearing a hard hat and a dust mask and was accompanied by a red haired conman, who has been nicknamed Mr Ginger. A third man wearing a pair of smart shoes made up the trio, with his footwear earning him the name Mr Gent.

The police’s failure to investigate immedi- ately left the gang free to work uninterrupted over Easter and escape with gems and cash worth ‘millions and millions’ from 0 deposit boxes. Last night jewellers who rent boxes with the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Ltd security firm accused the police of incompetence and threatened to sue them and the owners of the deposit company.

One jeweller, a 63-year- old named Michael, said: ‘As far as I’m concerned the police have got a lot to answer for. Suing anyone is a last resort but it’s something I would consider.’

Another jeweller called Ryan, who runs a business with his father in Hatton Garden, added: ‘It is just unbelievable that they could ignore a call from an alarm company.’

The deposit firm has also faced criticism over the building’s ‘antiquated’ alarm system. Security expert Seamus Fahy, 4 , said: ‘It was a well-planned heist, but the lack of modern technology made it a lot less difficult than it should have been.’

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: ‘A grade was applied to the call that meant that no police response was deemed to be required. We are now investigating why this grade was applied to the call.

‘It is too early to say if the handling of the call would have had an impact on the outcome of the incident.’