131: The ‘Bait & Switch’ Bank Heist
Summary
This episode details the 1975 Bank of America heist in London, the largest bank robbery in history at the time. Hosts Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling discuss how the thieves used a "bait and switch" tactic to mislead police surveillance, allowing them to steal millions from the Davies Street branch. The story covers the arrests of key figures like Stuart Buckley, who became a supergrass, and the eventual capture of Jimmy Laughlin, who was tracked down by the distinctive smell of his feet.
Topics discussed
Sponsor reads: Tire guarantee and Sephora
Opening scene: Men enter empty bank at 6 PM
Vault drilling failure and the inside tip
Host banter: Coffee, location, and heist intro
Bait and switch trick and pub £20 note story
C11 surveillance and Jimmy Laughlin's plan
Stuart Buckley's job and keys to Bank of America
Mickey Gervais, alarm hacking, and IT hostages
Flying Squad, Jack Slipper, and tracking the loot
Leonard Wild's key duplication and arrests
Stuart cracks: Flattery and cuttlefish bone molds
Sponsor read: Midas tire guarantee
Recap, hidden profits, and Stuart becomes a supergrass
Failed drill attempt and screwdriver vantage point
Hostage Ian McPherson and dial-a-disk service
Legal definitions: Robbery vs. burglary
New feature intro and the three Henrys
Jimmy Laughlin's courtroom escape
Manhunt, girlfriend's lie, and pitted keratosis clue
Sentences, Frank Maple on the run, and unrecovered loot
Listener emails: Ouija, Yorkshire Ripper, and cats
Credits and BBC Podcasts Premium promotion
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