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Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
From Brink's-Mat to the Great Train Robbery, these are the five BIGGEST heists in British history
To celebrate the launch of two new Mail podcasts, 'The Trial: The Kim Kardashian Heist' and 'The Hunt for Tamara Ecclestone's Diamonds', these are the five biggest heists in British history. From holding up trains to cracking open bank vaults, the heists are ranked according to the approximate amount of money the thieves stole. In a new series of the Mail's award-winning 'The Trail' podcast, acclaimed crime journalist Caroline Cheetham and reporter Nick Fagge, will deliver daily courtroom updates from the Paris trial of the alleged robbers of Kim Kardashian jewels, dubbed the 'grandpa gang' by French media. Also launching is a brand-new exclusive podcast series called 'Heists, Scams and Lies'. The first episodes follow Mail reporters George Odling and Andy Jehring's journey across Europe to hunt for socialite Tamara Ecclestone's £25 million in stolen diamonds. 5) The Hatton Garden Heist, 2015 Stolen: £14 million (approximately £18.5 million in today's money) Across a four-day Easter weekend, six elderly men took advantage of the disruption caused by electrical labels catching fire and broke into a safe deposit facility in Hatton Garden, London. The fire caused chaos in Central London, with offices evacuated and noxious fumes spewing out of manhole covers. With local businesses also closed for the holiday, the men were able to enter the bank through an underground lift shaft and make away with £14 million in jewels and cash. The burglary was undertaken by experienced thieves, with one of the conspirators, Brain Reader, having ties to the 1983 Brink's-Mat gold robbery. To enter the safes inside, they drilled holes in the walls with police later releasing CCTV images of the men caught in the act. Through a combination of the CCTV footage and tracking attempts to sell the stolen goods, the Flying Squad, a specialist branch of the Metropolitan Police, was able to find and arrest the men involved. 4) The Great Train Robbery, 1963 Stolen: £2.61 million (approximately £69 million in today's money) Undoubtedly the most infamous heist in British history, a gang of fifteen men meticulously planned and executed the early morning robbery of a Royal Mail train as it travelled from Glasgow to London. An employee at the Royal Mail had shared information about the train's movements to figures in London's criminal underworld, leading to a daring plot that took months to plan, with multiple rival gangs working together. By messing with the signaling system and attacking staff members, the criminals were able to stop the train and get away with £2.61 million, an eye-watering sum for sixties Britain. To this day, much of the loot taken from the train has never been recovered. The train robbers were eventually caught when their Leatherslade Farm hideout in Buckinghamshire was raided by police. Amusingly, a Monopoly board proved the undoing of many of the conspirators, with fingerprints on the game allowing police to link together and track the men. 3) The Securitas Depot Robbery, 2006 Stolen: £53 million (approximately £92 million in today's money) Beginning with the abduction of a man's family and ending with the burglary of a depot in Tonbridge Wells, the Securitas Robbery would have topped this list if thieves were able to carry more than 53 of the £154 million available to them. The depot was a subcontracted holding facility for the Bank of England, with newly printed notes made in Epping stored there before distribution. A mixed band of Albanian and English criminals were able to gain information about the workings of the depot by placing a man on the inside. On 21 February 2006, the gang abducted the facility's manager, Colin Dixon and his entire family, later forcing him at gunpoint to open the door of his place of work. Staff were then held in cages as the thieves ransacked the location. The conspirators fled to locations in Cyprus and Morocco, hiding out while spending the ill-gotten money extravagantly. After discovering bank notes in laundry bags, a locked-up garage, and the boots of vehicles linked to the heist, police were eventually able to track down and arrest the men. The case is remembered as the biggest cash robbery in history and shortly after the thieves were prosecuted, the depot was shut down. 2) The Brink's-Mat Robbery, 1983 Stolen: £26 million (approximately £102 million in today's money) Taking the silver medal for arguably the most famous heist in British history, the Brink's-Mat Robbery saw £26 million in gold bullion and diamonds stolen from Heathrow airport. Six men broke into the Brink's-Mat warehouse on Heathrow's International Trading Estate in London, after colluding with the location's security guard Anthony Black. The robbers poured patrol on staff and threatened to set them on fire if they did not comply with their demands. Despite the planning involved, the theft was mostly a fluke. The gang responsible did not know beforehand that gold bullion was going to be stored at the warehouse. After the robbery, a huge manhunt began with Metropolitan Police's Flying Squad again getting involved to identify the perpetrators. By picking apart an elaborate scheme to melt the gold down and sell it to legitimate buyers, the conspirators were caught and arrested. It took nearly six years of rigorous investigation to find everyone involved, with the last man arrested in connection with the crime being apprehended in Fuengirola, Spain in 1989. 1) The Knightsbridge Deposit Robbery, 1987 Stolen: £60 million (approximately £187 million in today's money) Masterminded by Italian immigrant and prolific thief, Valerio Viccei, the 1987 robbery of a bank in Knightsbridge, London would have remained unsolved if not for the sale of a luxury car. The heist saw Viccei indebt the bank's manager by supplying him cocaine, to the extent that he supplied the necessary information to complete the burglary. Vicci and his gang held up the bank at gunpoint on 12 July 1987, hanging a closed sign outside the building to give his men time to loot safes and lock boxes. The gang's leader escaped to South America but later returned to London to pick up a Ferrari sportscar, where he was then arrested. He was linked to the crime after forensic investigators discovered his bloody fingerprint at the crime scene. To listen ad-free to our award-winning true crime series, subscribe to The Crime Desk - the home of arresting podcasts from the makers of The Trial. Become a member by clicking here, for ad-free access to every show across The Crime Desk network — including over 200 episodes of The Trial and On The Case and so much more.
Daily Mirror
23-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Tamara Eccleston's 'lesson' after break-in at home saw £25m in jewels nicked
The F1 heiress learned she and her husband weren't able to claim any money back for the stolen items as the insurance policy for their mansion contained an exemption clause for watches and jewellery Tamara Ecclestone and her husband, Jay Rutland, were unable to recoup any of the £25million lost in their burglary due to an insurance catch, it is reported. The F1 heiress learned she and her husband weren't able to claim any money back for the stolen items, including jewellery and watches, as the insurance policy for their sprawling mansion in Kensington, west London contained an exemption clause for watches and jewellery, which had previously gone unnoticed. International jewel thieves had ransacked the family's property while they were on holiday in Lapland in late 2019. It left Tamara, 40, traumatised and so the socialite had to take extra security measures to protect her family. Insurance lawyer Peter Mansfield, Partner at RPC, discussed the insurance policy and urged people to "read your policy and understand it". He said: "Very sadly for them, Tamara Ecclestone and Jay Rutland lost £25million because of an exclusion in their insurance policy, but there are lessons to be learnt from this oversight. "The message is very simple: read your policy and understand it. Most policies nowadays are written in plain English – while they can be lengthy, they are generally straightforward. "At the very least, you should check the policy schedule, which sets out a summary of the cover. This is not a case of checking the small print, but instead, the big print. "Many home and contents policies will provide insurance for valuables up to a certain value, for instance, £5,000. However, if you have any particularly expensive items, like high-value jewellery and watches, you will be asked to disclose these in the proposal form. If those valuables total £25million, both you and your insurers would almost certainly want them to be separately insured." Peter went on to say it is important to "understand the exclusion and conditions in your policy". The thieves spent many days scouting the mansions of London's rich and famous before selecting their final targets: the homes of Frank and Christine Lampard, the late Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and of course, the Ecclestone mansion on Billionaires' Row. Two years after the crimes were committed, three men from Italy pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court to conspiracy to burgle in three raids. Art investor Jay, 43, recently discussed the incident and said he accepted responsibility for the lack of diligence. He said: "Our total insurance claim was for, I think, 40 grand or 45 grand, something like that, which was for the doors in the house because [the burglars] literally smashed down about 25 or 30 doors. "If you can imagine, every door to every room was locked. So that meant they had to crowbar each door open. So, I remember we claimed on the insurance for those doors to be replaced, but that was it. Nothing else was insured. Don't get me wrong, that's our own fault and clearly it teaches you the importance of checking the small print. But that was one of the exclusions in the policy - watches and jewellery, very specifically."
Daily Mail
23-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Don't fall victim to an insurance catch like the Ecclestones! All the policy pitfalls you never knew could stop you getting a payout - after couple's oversight cost them £25m
As Tamara Ecclestone and her husband learned the hard way, having home insurance doesn't necessarily mean you're covered for every eventuality. The F1 heiress and Jay Rutland were unable to recoup any of the £25million lost in Britain's biggest burglary because of an astonishing insurance blunder. International jewel thieves ransacked the family's Kensington mansion while they were on holiday, taking millions worth of priceless gems, watches and cash. But the family could not claim a penny back for the stolen goods because the insurance policy for their lavish £75million home contained an exemption clause for watches and jewellery that had previously gone unnoticed. The bombshell was one of several revelations in the Daily Mail's new podcast Heists Scams and Lies: The Hunt for Tamara Ecclestone's Missing Diamonds. Home insurers are now accepting as few as one in three claims to get properties fixed after fires, flooding and other issues, with rejections rising in recent years. The percentage of claims accepted for buildings and contents policies in 2023 was 72 per cent - down from 76 per cent in 2022, Financial Conduct Authority data found. For buildings-only cover it was 63 per cent in 2023, down from 67 per cent. MailOnline has now gone through some of the common reasons for insurers not paying out – from lack of cover to underinsurance and the 'wrong type of weather': Lack of cover Many claims are rejected because something is not actually covered by a policy, such as accidental damage or certain items being excluded in the terms and conditions. This is what Tamara Ecclestone and Jay Rutland found when they realised they could only make a £45,000 claim for 25 or 30 doors smashed down in the burglary. Watches and jewellery were specifically excluded from the policy on the couple's property, so they could not claim against the £25million worth that were stolen. Another common issue often not covered is damage caused by pets, such as a dog destroying a sofa – although this can sometimes be added as an optional extra. 'Wrong type of weather' Storm damage is the most likely reason for a home insurance claim rejection - with 9 per cent of extreme weather claims rejected, according to consumer group Which? Insurers can sometimes dispute whether the weather conditions can be defined as a 'storm', which can be defined as certain recorded wind speeds in the area. Damage caused by flooding due to bad weather is the next likeliest rejected claim at 8 per cent – with some rejections when damage had occurred 'too slowly'. Research by Which? earlier this month suggested insurers are using potentially unfair definitions of storms and floods to reject damage claims made by customers. Escape of water is the most common home insurance claim in the UK - accounting for about 30 per cent of all home insurance claims, according to MoneySuperMarket. Last December, a man whose house was wrecked by Storm Darragh was refused a payout after insurers said it was not a storm because the wind speed only hit 53mph. Dennis Iliffe was informed the winds that battered his property in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, were 2mph too slow for his insurance provider Ageas to pay up. This is because the Association of British Insurers defines a storm as 'a period of violent weather defined as wind speeds with gusts of at least 48 knots (55mph)'. An 'absolutely astounded' Mr Iliffe was facing being left £500 out of pocket after getting his aerial replaced and chimney repaired following the storm. However, after the story was reported in the media, Ageas confirmed that it had since received 'supporting information' from Mr Iliffe and had agreed to settle his claim. Wear and tear Homeowners often need to keep their property 'well maintained' for their insurance policy to be valid – and natural 'wear and tear' is normally not included. For example, roof damage will often only be covered if the roof is relatively new or if it has been checked by a qualified engineer within a stated time period. Normal 'wear and tear' is sometimes defined as faded or worn carpets, the colour fading on a sofa, the TV breaking because it is old or the window frames rotting. Among those caught out by the 'wear and tear' policy were couple Ali Clarke and Peter Willis whose ceiling fell on top of them as they slept in Hackney, East London. A large piece of plaster fell onto 60-year-old Peter's leg, leaving him with a broken fibula. His wife, 56, suffered a bloody nose after being hit by another piece. But three weeks after the incident their insurer rejected their £7,272 claim outright, claiming the damage to their 1930s semi-detached home was 'wear and tear'. Malcolm and Anne Terheggen, of Bedfont, Middlesex, also had a claim rejected in 2019 when a section of guttering crashed down from the roof in heavy rain. Their insurer Ageas initially refused to cover the cost because the wind speeds had reached 40mph which was 7mph below what the firm classified as a 'storm'. Then, Ageas's claims adjuster visited the property and said the damage had been caused by wear and tear to the fascia - which sits just below the rafters. Ageas later said hourly rainfall on that day had not exceeded 4.8mm, and cast iron guttering 'should be able to withstand that amount of rainfall at all times and therefore Mr Terheggen's claim was declined as a result of wear and tear.' Underinsurance Some properties can be deemed 'underinsured' if the value of the property contents or the total rebuild cost is not high enough on the policy. This sometimes leads to the insurance provider agreeing to pay out some of the amount claimed under what is described as the 'average' clause. To give an example, this means that if the sum insured is 25 per cent under the correct value, then there would also be a 25 per cent reduction in the payout. In monetary terms, someone with £80,000 of contents might only have a £60,000 insurance policy. This means a £40,000 claim would only get a £30,000 payout. The insurance company could also award a lower payout if it believes the claim has made at an unrealistic value. And a 'single item limit' is the most that an insurer will pay for one item. This means if your £3,000 ring is stolen but your limit is £2,000, the latter is what you will get. Wrong information Providing incorrect information to your insurance provider either in your initial application for the policy or during the claims process could see a claim rejected. This could include details on the proportion of the roof which is flat or the type of locks installed on the doors, which would be important in a burglary claim. Non-disclosure of facts is also an issue, such as when someone does not declare a previous claim to try to maintain a cheaper premium or no-claims discount. It is also important to keep insurers up to date with any changes to personal details such as your employment or marital status, as this could also affect the policy. Lack of due care Insurers will want to know the homeowner has done enough to prevent an insurance claim, such as ensuring the doors are locked and the windows are closed when out. For example, many insurance companies have a minimum requirement of TS007 three-star locks or a combination of a one-star lock and a two-star door handle. Some policies only cover fire damage if the property has working fire extinguishers which have been installed and then annually checked by a reputable provider. Lack of due care could also include your valuables being on display. If the insurer can prove that you did not take enough care with your property, it can reject a claim. Time passed Claims can also be rejected by insurers if someone is too late making the claim, with many insurers requiring notification as soon as possible after the incident. Other policies may give you a grace period of up to 180 days, but it is important to not delay making a claim and to check the small print on your policy.
Daily Mail
23-04-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Where are Tamara Ecclestone's missing diamonds? New Mail podcast scours the globe for Formula One heiress's £25 million in stolen jewellery, uncovering the shocking truth behind Britain's biggest domestic burglary
An exclusive Mail podcast investigating the £25million raid of F1 heiress Tamara Ecclestone's mansion launches today as part of a new, hard-hitting true crimes series called ' Heists, Scams and Lies: The Hunt for Tamara Ecclestone's Diamonds '. It follows crime correspondent George Odling and senior reporter Andy Jehring as they travel around Europe on the trail of the biggest domestic burglary in British history. Speaking to police chiefs, victims, and even acquaintances of the thieves themselves, they build up the most comprehensive picture yet of what happened on the night and, over five gripping episodes, try to solve the mystery – where are Tamara's stolen diamonds? Odling was one of the first reporters on the scene after a gang of international cat burglars ransacked the socialite's home in December 2019. She was on holiday with her young family in Lapland at the time they struck the fortress-like property on London 's 'billionaire's row' in Kensington – one of the most heavily guarded streets in Britain. The audacity of the heist stunned the nation: the robbers made off with over £25million in jewels from a street that is also home to the Sultan of Brunei, former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovic, and the embassies of Israel and Russia. It also shocked authorities and saw the Flying Squad - some of London's finest detectives - drafted in to crack the case. Detective Constable Andrew Payne led the probe and in this new Mail podcast series, Heists, Scams and Lies, he talks through his remarkable investigation in intricate detail. Speaking on the podcast, he explains how they uncovered that these international bandits were also responsible for hits on the West London homes of Frank and Christine Lampard as well as the late Leicester City chairman, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, just days before raiding the Ecclestone home. DC Payne then goes into the unorthodox methods his men used working with counterparts in Italy to catch gang members Jugoslav Jovanovic, Alessandro Maltese, and Alessandro Donati. The thieves were finally jailed at Isleworth Crown Court in 2021 – but the whereabouts of the loot remained unknown while the mastermind, a mysterious 'fourth man' with at least 19 different aliases, was still at large. After the trial, Odling and Jehring were tasked to find out as much information as possible about the final suspect, flying to Milan and Belgrade where he was believed to be hiding out. Speaking to his acquaintances across the Continent they ticked through his different aliases to find his real identity – even tracking him down to his hometown. On the way they uncovered his extraordinary back story and a high-flying life of crime that could be lifted straight out of an Ocean's 11 movie. The first episode of Heists, Scams and Lies: The Hunt for Tamara Ecclestone's Diamonds, available now on all good podcast platforms, looks at the mechanics of the heist, asking the question of how the thieves were able to so brazenly steal from one of the most fortified residences in the UK. Talking Odling and Jehring through the crime, Tamara's husband, Jay Rutland, says: 'Those thieves should never have been able to get into my house.' He remarks on the movement of the burglars that night, how they seemed to know the location of their most prized possessions. Jay also reveals how he has not been able to recoup a penny of the stolen £25million worth of items on insurance due to a clause in the small print. In this episode, Odling and Jehring also delve into the earlier burglaries, which started with a knock on the door of the home of England and Chelsea legend Lampard. It also documents the glee with which the bandits tore into the home of the late Leicester City chairman, Mr Srivaddhanaprabha, downing £500 bottles of Crystal while pocketing fistfuls of luxury items.
Daily Mirror
23-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
Tamara Ecclestone unable to claim for £25million of stolen gems due to insurance blunder
F1 heiress Tamara Ecclestone and husband Jay Rutland's mansion in Kensington, west London, was ransacked and the thieves made off with millions worth of priceless gems and watches Tamara Ecclestone and her husband were unable to recoup any of the £25million lost in their burglary due to an insurance catch, it is reported. The F1 heiress discovered she and Jay Rutland could not claim a penny back for the stolen goods, which included jewellery and watches, following the crime in late 2019. The insurance policy for their sprawling mansion in Kensington, west London contained an exemption clause for watches and jewellery, which had previously gone unnoticed. International jewel thieves had ransacked the family's property while they were on holiday in Lapland. It left Tamara, 40, traumatised and so the socialite had to take extra security measures to protect her family. The thieves spent days scouting the mansions of London's rich and famous before selecting their final targets: the homes of Frank and Christine Lampard, the late Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and of course, the Ecclestone mansion on Billionaires' Row. In 2021, three men from Italy pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court to conspiracy to burgle in three raids. Jay, 43, has said he accepted responsibility for a lack of diligence which meant the family were unable to make a claim for the valuables looted from their home. The art investor said: "Our total insurance claim was for, I think, 40 grand or 45 grand, something like that, which was for the doors in the house because [the burglars] literally smashed down about 25 or 30 doors. "If you can imagine, every door to every room was locked. So that meant they had to crowbar each door open. So, I remember we claimed on the insurance for those doors to be replaced, but that was it. Nothing else was insured. Don't get me wrong, that's our own fault and clearly it teaches you the importance of checking the small print. But that was one of the exclusions in the policy - watches and jewellery, very specifically." Jay spoke on Heists Scams and Lies: The Hunt for Tamara Ecclestone's Missing Diamonds, a new investigative podcast. This episode of the Daily Mail's true crime series lifts the lid on the burglary spree, which rocked the UK five years ago. In it, Jay adds: "For Tamara, it was literally every piece of jewellery that she'd accumulated since she was 16. I think she was lucky in the sense that it wasn't her wedding ring because she had it on her where we were. But there were lots of very sentimental pieces that she'd been given by her mum, by her dad, by other family members, by me." Almost none of the stolen property, snatched from the three mansions over 13 days, has ever been recovered and is thought to have been smuggled across Europe and beyond. In November 2021, Jugoslav Jovanovic, Alessandro Maltese and Alessandro Donati were jailed for a total of 28 at years at Isleworth Crown Court after pleading guilty to conspiracy to burgle.
