The van was on a diversion from its usual route due to roadworks taking place in Oxford Street. As it passed along Eastcastle Street a car pulled out in front of the mail van and another vehicle pulled up behind it blocking its movement. The driver, guard and sorter were all forcibly removed from the van which was driven away and abandoned in nearby Augustus Street.
A total of £236, 748 10s (worth £7.3 million today) was stolen. As with the Great Train Robbery, there was initially suspected that a member of Post Office staff may have been involved.
Staff on board the mail van at the time of the robbery came under particular scrutiny. There were a few factors which increased these suspicions. The van was fitted with an ambush alarm, but this was not used during the raid. When the van was recovered it was discovered that the alarm was deactivated.
Another incriminating factor was that proper processes for handling the keys had not been followed. The driver should have handed them to the guard for safekeeping but had instead left them on the seat of the van. These oversights, together with the fact that the driver did not sustain serious injuries in the attack, all raised questions.
In July 1952 Robert Kingshott (who had previously been dismissed from the Post Office for theft) and Edward Noble went on trial for receiving money stolen in the raid. After the extensive debate, the jury found them both not guilty.
The mastermind believed to be behind the raid was London gangster Billy Hill and the robbers included George "Taters" Chatham and Terry "Lucky Tel" Hogan. Although no one was ever arrested for the crime, it still remains unsolved.
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