How London’s Docklands became the Eton of the crime world
When Hatton Garden Heist 'mastermind' Brian Reader died aged 84 in 2023, it was estimated that he had made £200 million during his long criminal career. Reader shared his origins with other members of British criminal royalty, such as those behind the great train, Brink's Mat, Security Express and Tonbridge cash depot heists – robbers who were all part of a long standing and highly resilient culture of skulduggery. For many of these men, a childhood in and around London's pre-gentrified Docklands was like going to Eton. The Docklands and its adjacent surroundings have long been centres of excellence for criminal practice.
