Heist - Softcover

On Wednesday, 22 February 2006, GBP53 million was stolen from a warehouse belonging to the Securitas company in Tonbridge, Kent. In terms of value, the robbery puts previous British capers, such as the Great Train Robbery, in the shade. This was a crime notable for its audacity, carried out by an unlikely gang that included a used-car salesman, a roofer and two Albanian casual workers. Five men were sentenced at the Old Bailey in January 2008, which attracted nationwide media coverage. A second trial for the remaining players will take place in October 2008. For legal reasons further details cannot be revealed at this stage, but the full story will be told in Heist. Having become close to the Tonbridge gang and the police during three years of research, Sounes relates the story in irresistible, almost forensic detail. After the robbery comes the exciting, sometimes comical story of the getaway. Money is found and arrests are made, but key characters slip out of the country and millions are never recovered. Full of jaw-dropping detail, characterful portraits and full of narrative pace, Heist will be the definitive account of these compelling events.

Howard Sounes is the author of several acclaimed and bestselling works of non-fiction, including the true crime classic Fred & Rose (1995), and biographies of Charles Bukowski and Bob Dylan. He lives in London.