A piece of criminal history connected to one of the most audacious heists in British history is to go under the hammer in Norfolk.
A police helmet worn by the officer who helped bring Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs to justice is being sold at auction in Aylsham by Keys Auctioneers and Valuers.
The hat belonged to PC Arthur Taylor of Buckinghamshire Constabulary, who escorted Biggs to court in January 1964.
It is expected to fetch between £500 and £800.
The Great Train Robbery saw a gang steal £2.6m (now worth about worth about £49.67m) from a Royal Mail train in Buckinghamshire in 1963.
They tampered with a signal to bring the train to a halt near a bridge at Ledburn before unloading the money.
The gang then hid out at a farm in Leatherslade, around 30 miles from the scene. Police later found the hideout where they discovered clues which led them to round up most of the gang.
Biggs was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in the 1963 heist but escaped after just 15 months, spending 36 years on the run before he returned to the UK in 2001 when he was immediately detained to complete the rest of his sentence.
He was moved to Norwich Prison in 2007 and released on compassionate grounds in August 2009. He died in 2013.
The headgear will be sold alongside a second helmet in Keys Auctioneers’ Autumn Fine Sale, taking place on November 18, 19, and 20.
David Broom, the valuer at the auction house, said: "Even 63 years on, the Great Train Robbery continues to fascinate many people, even those who were not even born when it took place.
"The robbery has been recreated many times in films and TV, and the long period the Ronnie Biggs spent evading justice kept the story alive right up until his death.
"This artefact allows us to remember the considerable dedication put in by police officers into bringing those responsible to justice."
The helmet will be auctioned on the second day of the sale.
A full online catalogue is available at www.keysauctions.co.uk.
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