
How to Rob the Bank of England
Keith Cheeseman Reveals the True Story of Britain's Biggest Ever Robbery
Icon Books (Publisher)
Published on 23. October 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
288 pages
978-1-83773-136-7 (ISBN)
Description
On a sunny May morning in 1990, a bank courier strode out of the Bank of England and, minutes later, was robbed at knifepoint of 301 bearer bonds valued at GBP292 million. It was the biggest theft in British history.
The thing is... when Keith Cheeseman received a call from a disbarred lawyer connected to London's underworld and attended a meeting on the night of the robbery, he counted GBP427 million in bonds - GBP135 million more than the Bank of England had reported.
As Keith set out to launder the bonds, Scotland Yard and the FBI were always one step ahead in tracking them down. Over the next eighteen months, two gangland figures were shot dead and more than eighty people were arrested. Keith was the only man ever jailed for the crime.
Keith Cheeseman is the last of the old-time gangsters, a con man who detests violence, wears Savile Row suits and gold watches, and loves classic cars and good dining. He bought non-league Dunstable Town football club and signed Manchester United star George Best to play for the team. He knew the legendary Kray twins and killer Frankie Fraser once threatened to snuff him out over a game of chess.
So what happened to the missing GBP135 million?
In this breath-taking adventure, featuring colourful characters from showbusiness alongside royalty, the IRA and even Pablo Escobar, Clifford Thurlow reveals Keith Cheeseman's incredible true story for the first time.
The thing is... when Keith Cheeseman received a call from a disbarred lawyer connected to London's underworld and attended a meeting on the night of the robbery, he counted GBP427 million in bonds - GBP135 million more than the Bank of England had reported.
As Keith set out to launder the bonds, Scotland Yard and the FBI were always one step ahead in tracking them down. Over the next eighteen months, two gangland figures were shot dead and more than eighty people were arrested. Keith was the only man ever jailed for the crime.
Keith Cheeseman is the last of the old-time gangsters, a con man who detests violence, wears Savile Row suits and gold watches, and loves classic cars and good dining. He bought non-league Dunstable Town football club and signed Manchester United star George Best to play for the team. He knew the legendary Kray twins and killer Frankie Fraser once threatened to snuff him out over a game of chess.
So what happened to the missing GBP135 million?
In this breath-taking adventure, featuring colourful characters from showbusiness alongside royalty, the IRA and even Pablo Escobar, Clifford Thurlow reveals Keith Cheeseman's incredible true story for the first time.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Duxford
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 128 mm
Width: 198 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
240 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-83773-136-7 (9781837731367)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Clifford Thurlow