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| Hatton Garden jewellery burglary: Underground fire nearby may have been 'deliberate' ploy to shut off power to vault | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Thieves who made off with an estimated £200 million worth of jewellery from Hatton Garden safe deposit boxes may have deliberately started an underground fire nearby prior to the heist. | |
| The latest details emerged alongside suggestions that the theft was planned by the notorious ‘King of Diamonds’. Meanwhile, Britain’s top footballers could be among the victims of the million pound theft over the Easter Weekend. | |
| Many of the raided boxes at the Holborne store in London are used by nearby jewellers, some of whom are known to undertake commissions for Premier League stars. | Many of the raided boxes at the Holborne store in London are used by nearby jewellers, some of whom are known to undertake commissions for Premier League stars. |
| “Players have almost unlimited spending power and love to outdo each other with extravagant purchases, especially where jewellery is concerned," an anonymous source claimed. | “Players have almost unlimited spending power and love to outdo each other with extravagant purchases, especially where jewellery is concerned," an anonymous source claimed. |
| "It's only natural they would go to the renowned craftsmen of Hatton Garden to place their orders," the unidentified individual told Sky News. | "It's only natural they would go to the renowned craftsmen of Hatton Garden to place their orders," the unidentified individual told Sky News. |
| The Easter Weekend raid, in which thieves made off with “approximately 60 to 70” safe deposit boxes according to Scotland Yard, has drawn intense media interest with estimates for the total value of the haul spiralling to £200 million. | The Easter Weekend raid, in which thieves made off with “approximately 60 to 70” safe deposit boxes according to Scotland Yard, has drawn intense media interest with estimates for the total value of the haul spiralling to £200 million. |
| Forensic experts continue to scour the building for clues as details about the well-planned raid emerged. | Forensic experts continue to scour the building for clues as details about the well-planned raid emerged. |
| It is believed that the thieves entered the building from the roof, abseiling down the lift shaft before drilling through the wall next to the vault door using heavy equipment. | It is believed that the thieves entered the building from the roof, abseiling down the lift shaft before drilling through the wall next to the vault door using heavy equipment. |
| John O’Connor, former head of Scotland Yard's Flying Squad, believes an underground fire in Holborn was probably "deliberate" and had arranged by the thieves in order to disrupt power to the vault. | |
| "I've never heard of an outage of electricity like that causing a fire that lasted as long as that. That seems to me too much of a coincidence," he told LBC radio earlier today. | |
| A local jeweller said that the sound of drilling would not have surprised nearby residents as many had been sent a letter informing them of works related to the Crossrail project. | A local jeweller said that the sound of drilling would not have surprised nearby residents as many had been sent a letter informing them of works related to the Crossrail project. |
| Jewels on display at the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit | Jewels on display at the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit |
| “This was a very slick operation and the role of the draftsman [planner] was vital to get the detail exactly right,” Barry Phillips, chairman of the newly reinstated Flying Squad Association, the Met branch that deals with bank heists and robberies, said. | “This was a very slick operation and the role of the draftsman [planner] was vital to get the detail exactly right,” Barry Phillips, chairman of the newly reinstated Flying Squad Association, the Met branch that deals with bank heists and robberies, said. |
| “There simply aren’t that many faces who could have done it,” he told The Sun. | “There simply aren’t that many faces who could have done it,” he told The Sun. |
| Mr Phillips, a retired Detective Chief Superintendent, added you “cannot ignore” the so-called ‘King of Diamonds,’ a shadowy criminal figure who is thought to have masterminded the £40 million Graff diamond theft in 2009. | Mr Phillips, a retired Detective Chief Superintendent, added you “cannot ignore” the so-called ‘King of Diamonds,’ a shadowy criminal figure who is thought to have masterminded the £40 million Graff diamond theft in 2009. |
| The man, believed to have connections to the west midlands, is then thought to have moved to Spain but The Sun claims he was recently seen back in the UK. | The man, believed to have connections to the west midlands, is then thought to have moved to Spain but The Sun claims he was recently seen back in the UK. |
| A police forensics officer entering the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit company | A police forensics officer entering the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit company |
| A Met spokesperson refused to comment on the speculation around the perpetrators of the crime, telling The Independent that forensic teams were still searching the building. | A Met spokesperson refused to comment on the speculation around the perpetrators of the crime, telling The Independent that forensic teams were still searching the building. |
| “This is a slow and painstaking process involving forensic examination, photographing the scene and recovering exhibits in meticulous detail in order to preserve the evidence,” they added. | “This is a slow and painstaking process involving forensic examination, photographing the scene and recovering exhibits in meticulous detail in order to preserve the evidence,” they added. |