Amid the heatwave of July 1948, a gang of London's top thieves came up with an audacious plot to steal half a million pounds worth of gold bullion and other valuables from the customs warehouse at the newly opened London Airport. The Head of Security at the airport - which later became known as Heathrow - was former Scotland Yard Detective, Donald Fish. He wasted no time in alerting his old pals on the force. The heist, and the resulting royal rumble between cops and robbers became known as The Battle of Heathrow. It went down in Scotland Yard folklore as the most bloody, but most successful sting operation in Flying Squad history.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices