Pod Insights British Scandal The Millennium Dome Heist | Cops and Robbers | 2 About this episode As Ray Betson's crew prepares for the heist of the century, police chief John 'Swini' Swinfield catches wind of their plans. With his unit's reputation on the line, he hatches a bold counter-operation: let the robbers strike, then catch them red-handed. But in the crowded Millennium Dome, one wrong move could turn a tactical triumph into a public catastrophe.
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Transcript Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
0:00 Alice Levine? Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of British Scandal ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.
0:14 Matt Forde? Alice, I need to tell you something.
0:15 Alice Levine? Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. No, you have to keep playing the game we were doing in the office. So it's your turn. You have to say a word about the series between every word you want to say.
0:26 Matt Forde? I love that game.
0:27 Alice Levine? No, no, you have to do it.
0:28 Matt Forde? Alice, it's not appropriate.
0:29 Alice Levine? Come on, are you saying you're a loser?
0:32 Matt Forde? I'm not saying it's just that...
0:37 Matt Forde? Okay, JCB Alice, dome your police dad.
0:45 Alice Levine? Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm getting it. Go on, I'm getting it. You're doing good.
0:49 Matt Forde? Diamond called, vault your millennium dogs, slags dead.
1:01 Alice Levine? What? Oh, my God, what? Why didn't you just say?
1:06 Matt Forde? Greenwich, sorry, river, my Thames bad.
1:11 Alice Levine? Freebentos, poor cocaine buster.
1:20 Alice Levine? 10:47 a.m., 7th of November 2000, Tong Farm, Kent.
1:27 Alice Levine? Lee Wenham tucks his daughter under a blanket as she settles in to watch her favorite television show. He stares blankly at the screen as Tinky Winky emerges from behind a bright green hill in Teletubbyland. Lee grimaces as his daughter beckons for him to join. Instead, he glances at the screen of his Nokia 3310.
1:50 Alice Levine? He steps back, quietly closes the door, pads upstairs to the bedroom, and double-checks his watch. 10:47 a.m. They should be back by now. Smash and grab. That was the plan.
2:10 Alice Levine? Ray Betson's phone. I ain't here right now. Please leave a message after the beep. Ray, where the fuck are ya?
2:19 Alice Levine? He slams the phone on the ground, fumbles around in his pocket, removes a small bag of cocaine, and snorts a line off the bedroom mantelpiece. Lee knows he's let his paranoia get the better of him, but he still can't believe Ray's pulled him from the actual job.
2:37 Alice Levine? He's about to bend down and do a second line of coke, when he hears the sounds of tyres on gravel outside the house.
2:45 Alice Levine? His shoulders loosen. He feels the pressure eased from his skull. A smile stretches across his face. He starts to mentally run through the next stages of the plan: Sell the diamond to Ray's mystery buyer, split the millions, and then live the life of Riley. He races down the stairs, slides back the three bolts, throws open the door. But as he steps outside, his stomach drops. No. Please, no. He slams the door, leans his back against it, closes his eyes, trying to process what he's just seen. Police car after police car, streaming up the farm track. He's surrounded. He pauses.
3:30 Alice Levine? Can't think over his own heavy breaths. His eyes flick to his hammer on the kitchen table. He's got no idea what's happened, where the hell Ray and the boys are. All he knows is something has gone terribly wrong. And now, he's got a choice to make. Run and disappear. Or face the music. And fight.
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5:03 Alice Levine? From Wondery, I'm Alice Levine.
5:05 Matt Forde? And I'm Matt Ford.
5:06 Alice Levine? And this is British Scandal.
5:19 Alice Levine? Matt, we've met our gang of petty thieves turned masterminds. I'm putting air quotes around masterminds. So they've got Ray Betson, the Don, whose idea this all was. Then we've got Terry Millman, who you'll know from his incredible raspy voice. He's the oldest member of the gang. He's not very well. We have Lee Wenham, a live wire coke head, which you always need in any effective heist. But he has got some good ideas. And frankly, his crafting skills would put Kirsty Allsop to shame. So, having heard this, if you had to put together a crack squad of friends to deliver this kind of heist, who would you pick and why?
5:58 Matt Forde? I'd like to think I'd be the brains. You'd be the muscle, obviously.
6:01 Alice Levine? Obviously.
6:03 Matt Forde? Obviously, I'd be thinking of other podcasters first and foremost.
6:06 Alice Levine? Naturally.
6:07 Matt Forde? Alistair Campbell, I think, would be great on the PR, could spin for us in the aftermath. Roisin Connery has the gift of the gab. She could blag us in.
6:15 Alice Levine? Oh, God, yeah. Fantastic.
6:16 Matt Forde? Charm our way through. John Richardson, you always need a kind of acrobat or someone who can fit to small spaces.
6:24 Alice Levine? What don't I know about John?
6:26 Matt Forde? Well, he's kind of rodenty, isn't he? So he could get through the network of air conditioning tunnels, sewers, wherever he usually hangs out. Um, he would probably steal the diamond and then I'd have Emma Watson as the getaway driver.
6:38 Alice Levine? For obvious reasons. What's landed for me most there, Matt, is that you delivered that without pause. You've obviously given it some thought, uh, maybe even more than that. If there are any police officers listening with unsolved robberies on their books, do get in touch, [email protected] . I might have some suspects for you. [email protected] . Okay, so back to the Millennium Dome. They've got the guys, they've done the recce. The only small problem is that they're going to have to pull this off in broad daylight while the Millennium Dome is crawling with tourists. I use crawling loosely because not that popular, but you know what I mean. There are a fair few people there.
7:14 Matt Forde? I mean, you raise a good point. It's probably busier at night.
7:19 Alice Levine? With the cleaners, with the security guards.
7:22 Matt Forde? What could possibly go wrong?
7:24 Alice Levine? Let's see. This is episode two, Cops and Robbers.
7:31 Alice Levine? Two months earlier, September 2000, Millennium Dome, London. Lee Wenham shuts his eyes, tries to think. He's sick of spending time in this temple to finance. Neon arrows point the way to more neon arrows. Every surface seems to glitter with oversized credit cards. Children squeal as they run across floors patterned with cartoonish stock market graphs. His eyes jerk open as a snotty-nosed toddler collides with his thigh and then wheels away giggling.
8:05 Alice Levine? He's here to do a final recce. To work out exactly how they can carry out Britain's biggest ever robbery. How they can steal a £350 million diamond in broad daylight, with children running in and out the goddamn vault. He shakes his head, muttering under his breath. This is a bloody suicide mission. What was that? Lee looks up, Ray's fixing him with a stern look. Nothing, nothing. Good, because we can only do this when the place is open, when the vault's open. Unless you've got any bright ideas.
8:44 Matt Forde? None of them have any bright ideas. Trying to rob this diamond from the Millennium Dome during the day when it's open does not count as a bright idea. You can't really say, "Look, I've had a bright idea, so why don't you come up with one." It's nil-nil in the Bright Ideas Derby.
9:01 Alice Levine? Lee glances at the vault, defeated. He's been able to figure out how they get through the perimeter gates and how they smash the protective glass inside the vault. But breaking into the vault itself is the one problem he hasn't been able to crack. Terry said if we're armed, we can clear the room. I told you, no weapons. Guns and kids don't mix.
9:26 Alice Levine? Lee sucks in his lips, scolded.
9:30 Alice Levine? But then a series of deafening bangs tear through the dome, followed by a couple of screams. Lee's whole body tenses. He instinctively starts to raise his arms and surrender. Ray laughs.
9:44 Alice Levine? Fuck you doing, numpty. It's just kids. Lee looks over at a group of schoolchildren, setting off French bangers.
9:53 Alice Levine? A few older tourists edge away, shooting them disapproving glances. He feels his cheeks redden. Yeah, yeah, no, I know. I was only messing. But as he watches, two security guards race over and start bundling away the kids. Lee's mind starts whirring. He excitedly grabs a bemused Ray by the shoulders. I think I've got it.
10:24 Alice Levine? At Tong Farm later that afternoon, Lee upends a carrier bag onto his workbench.
10:29 Matt Forde? I feel like I should have mentioned this earlier, but Tong Farm sounds like a clumsy euphemism for a snog.
10:36 Alice Levine? Oh, right. T-O-N-G-U-E. Whereas we're dealing with T-O-N-G, but I thought you might say a clumsy euphemism for more than a snog, because you call it tonking. So it's sort of like Tonk Farm.
10:50 Matt Forde? Tonk Farm.
10:52 Alice Levine? It sounds like an ITV dating show, Tonk Farm.
10:56 Matt Forde? Yeah, it's like Clarkson's Farm, but with rural types.
11:04 Alice Levine? Smoke and stink bombs pour out of the bag. He sees Ray taking in the bright childish packaging. You pulled me back here for a fucking joke shop? Lee ignores him and laboriously unscrews the lid of a stink bomb. Ray starts to cough as the air thickens with the smell of rotten eggs. Lee throws the bomb on the ground with a flourish. He watches in glee as the entire room is enveloped in a thick cloud. Laps as Ray staggers out of the smoke-filled barn clutching his eyes. Lee pulls on a gas mask, steps out after him.
11:45 Alice Levine? Reckon even the rats will scarper now. He feels a surge of adrenaline as Ray starts to laugh too. Because he knows, with the crowd cleared, nothing stands between them and that three hundred and fifty million pound diamond. It's no longer a question of if they'll take it. It's a question of when.
12:15 Alice Levine? Half an hour later, Scotland Yard, London. DCI John Swinney Swimfield double checks the system.
12:23 Matt Forde? Hang on, how did he get that nickname?
12:24 Alice Levine? You were gonna say that. He's been handed a file on a drink-driving incident, and he's sure he recognizes the name.
12:34 Alice Levine? He swigs his stone-cold coffee as he waits for the computer to load. And there it is, in black and white.
12:42 Alice Levine? Terry Millman. He remembers Millman. He's a convicted robber he helped put away years ago. He even used to run with the Craze. So what on earth is he doing out of prison and crashing a van into an East London pub?
12:59 Alice Levine? He stares at the receiver. He can't handle another tirade of abuse from the Met Commissioner.
13:07 Alice Levine? Swinney runs a hand through his silver flecked hair in frustration. Twenty years ago, the Flying Squad were heroes. They foiled the Great Train Robbery, even have their own TV drama, The Sweeney. But in the past few years, they've been hit with one scandal after another. He refuses to become the last DCI of the Flying Squad. A former Navy engineer with two commendations for bravery. He knows he just needs one big case to put his team back on the map and shake these damned scandals.
13:42 Matt Forde? What sort of scandals are we talking?
13:43 Alice Levine? Basically, in 1997, a former officer turned super grass and shopped in thirty-plus of his colleagues. Absolute wrong-uns. It's your corruption, it's your removing valuables from scenes of crimes, it's your drug dealing, basically taking drugs off criminals and then setting up their own dealing business.
14:01 Matt Forde? Just purely playing devil's advocate.
14:03 Alice Levine? Wow, I didn't see a way, but go on.
14:06 Matt Forde? Taking the drugs off the bad guys, good idea. If the good guys are selling the drugs, then the people who want drugs are still happy. And then that money is helping fund our brave public servants who selflessly put themselves in harm's way. You know, these are underpaid men.
14:27 Alice Levine? And women.
14:27 Matt Forde? And women.
14:29 Alice Levine? You do work for the devil.
14:30 Matt Forde? I do work for the devil.
14:33 Alice Levine? Swinney's eyes return to Millman's name. He doesn't know why, but he has a hunch about Millman's car crash. He waits for the phone to ring through, then grabs the receiver, punches in some numbers.
14:49 Alice Levine? Is Millman still in custody?
14:53 Alice Levine? An hour later, Swinney peers through two-way glass at Tunbridge Police Station. He takes in the man half-folded in his chair, spitting into a paper cup, his face gaunt, grey stubble. You know what I'm gonna say? Is he single?
15:12 Alice Levine? Sorry, who's that guy gobbing into the cup?
15:17 Alice Levine? Christ, is that him? Millman looks a good twenty years older than his police photo. The PC next to him runs through the rap sheet. The fucker could barely walk. He's one pint away from pissing the bed. Swinney's heart starts to sink as he realises he's just a washed-up old-timer on a bender. We're getting him on drink driving, but we're gonna push for criminal damage and commandeering a vehicle not owned by him. Swinney looks up at him in confusion. Are you telling me he stole the van? He watches as the PC nods and checks his notes. It's owned by some bloke called... Lee? Lee Wenham. Swinney's heart rate quickens. He almost gulps. Wenham!
16:01 Alice Levine? Lee Wenham is the son of a notorious Kent crime family. He's been chasing him for a failed security van robbery on Nine Elms Lane, where he used Frey-Bentos pies as fake IEDs.
16:15 Alice Levine? He grabs the PC's notes, stares at the two names side by side. Terry Millman and Lee Wenham. He's been around the block long enough to smell a rap, and something doesn't add up. Swinney isn't a man who believes in coincidences, so he's going to talk to Millman, and he knows exactly how he's going to play this.
16:48 Alice Levine? Half an hour later, Tong Farm, Kent. Lee makes a few final adjustments to the JCB, shouts across at Ray, "I need the torque wrench!"
17:01 Alice Levine? He isn't going to leave anything to chance.
17:04 Matt Forde? I mean, adjustments makes it sound like he's letting the hem down. What sort of stuff is he doing?
17:10 Alice Levine? He's doing a little gathered waist. So they removed the dipper. They put three holes in the shovel so that they could see through it if they needed to, spot any police. And they took the rear controls out. Basically, all of this to make it lighter and faster. Because usually JCBs, as you will know, Matt, go at about 40 miles per hour. But this could just bob along then. It's sort of pimp my digger.
17:33 Alice Levine? He double checks the chassis of the hydraulic rams.
17:37 Alice Levine? Ray!
17:39 Alice Levine? Oi, Ray! He paces across the barn and finds Ray standing outside. Fuck's sake, Ray!
17:48 Alice Levine? But Ray's face is ashen. He's staring at his phone.
17:53 Alice Levine? Terry's been arrested. Lee stares at him in confusion. Then disbelief. Starts to rub his face. A sickness forming in his stomach. Doing what? What they got him on? What's the charge? It's drunk driving.
18:11 Alice Levine? But Lee doesn't give Ray a chance to finish before the next question falls out of his mouth. Do they know about us? About the dome? Do I look like I've got a crystal fucking ball? Lee's jaw tightens. He respects Ray. No other nutter would have had the balls to commit a plan like this.
18:32 Alice Levine? But he thinks about Nine Elms. The humiliation. The look on his dad's face when he came home empty-handed. He can't afford another failure. I knew this was a fucking stupid plan!
18:46 Alice Levine? The words spill out before he can stop them. He feels Ray tense. A dark flash across his face as their eyes lock. Lee thinks Ray might punch him. When he hears a sound. The low rumble of an engine. Fuck, fuck! It's them, innit? Knew that pisshead wouldn't have kept his trap shut!
19:08 Alice Levine? He feels Ray grab at his shoulders, but he struggles out of his grip. Drags open the barn door.
19:16 Alice Levine? Lee stares in disbelief. As instead of the old Bill, Terry climbs out of the taxi and swaggers up the farm track. A strange smirk on his face. Lee can't believe it. He was caught red-handed! Uh, no! Nothing on me. Terry's voice is slurred. A bottle of own brand vodka hangs out of his jacket pocket. Lee turns to Ray, sees a flash of concern on his face, but he composes himself.
19:48 Alice Levine? Good to have you back, mate. Lee leans towards Ray, whispers, "Look, I know he's your mate, but something doesn't feel right, Ray." Lee pauses. "What if Terry's made a deal?"
20:02 Alice Levine? But Ray snaps back. "Terry's loads of things, but a grass ain't one of them. He's old school. The bloke can hardly stand up." Ray's expression darkens. He looks about him before muttering, "He's got cancer."
20:20 Matt Forde? It's one thing that those of us in the cancer community don't like to get out there, but basically, people don't suspect you of anything. Once you've had it, it is a blank cheque. You know, you can just go about your business. Just walk into the bank and they say, "He's had cancer, just hand it over."
20:34 Alice Levine? You don't even need the gun.
20:38 Alice Levine? Lee feels a stomach twist.
20:41 Alice Levine? "Cancer? A fucking hell, sorry, I didn't..." I think this conversation's over, don't you? I'll talk to Terry.
20:52 Alice Levine? But Lee's mind's in overdrive. Terry getting released without charge and Ray defending him. Lee knows he has to back down, for now.
21:04 Alice Levine? He skulks into the farmhouse. He'll do a line to settle his nerves. But from now on, he's going to keep a close eye on the pair of them. Because if Terry's mixed up with the old Bill, he needs to convince Ray to cut him loose.
21:29 Alice Levine? One week later, Scotland Yard, London. Swinney leans back in his chair, removes his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose. Hours of staring at CCTV footage have made his forehead throb. He knew ordering Millman's release was a risk. The look of shock on Millman's face was matched only by those of his own officers. And now, Swinney's had to plough all of the Flying Squad's resources into surveillance. He's followed Millman to Tongue Farm and hidden officers in the trees, in the undergrowth and around the perimeter, disguised as dog walkers.
22:07 Matt Forde? Where did all these Alsatians come from? They're so well-trained!
22:13 Alice Levine? In less than an hour, he's meeting the Commissioner to report on the operation's progress.
22:19 Alice Levine? But, as he reviews the latest footage, his stomach nods. He's still got nothing.
22:26 Alice Levine? He sighs and rewinds the tape, trying to make out what the hell's going on. Lee and a petty crook named Ray Betson, known for cigarette smuggling, are letting off smoke bombs and dancing round like schoolboys.
22:39 Matt Forde? Betson and Edges.
22:41 Alice Levine? Oh, it's nice!
22:42 Matt Forde? Cops be his nickname, innit?
22:43 Alice Levine? Oh, it's nice! Behind him is Constable Laffs, straining to get a better look at the footage. It looks more like my kid's playground than a hotbed of criminal activity. Swinney suppresses a ripple of irritation, just as his radio crackles into life. Sir, Wenham's on the move. Swinney sighs and rises to his feet. He hopes it's not another trip to the joke shop.
23:17 Alice Levine? Half an hour later, Swinney and his Constable are crawling through the Blackwall Tunnel, straining to make out Wenham's battered four-by-four as it turns out of the city and into the depths of South London. He feels his heart rate quicken as the landscape starts to get more industrial. He wonders if Wenham is heading for the warehouses on the docks. He's about to radio for a backup vehicle when instead, Wenham turns sharply left and parks up at the Millennium Dome. Oh, the fucking dome!
23:50 Alice Levine? Swinny punches the steering wheel in frustration. He must be the only person in the country to love it. We followed him here last week as well, twice. Swinny raises his eyebrows. Last week? The domes are bust. What's Wenham doing going twice?
24:06 Matt Forde? He just loves the body zone.
24:09 Alice Levine? He watches Wenham pick a large black bag from the boot of his car. Swinny narrows his eyes, unclips his seatbelt, turns to his constable. You stay put. Ring it through.
24:23 Alice Levine? He quietly clicks open the door and slinks into the queue behind Wenham.
24:29 Alice Levine? He cranes his neck, trying to keep sight of Wenham's shaved head as he strides purposely through the crowds, barely stopping to glance at the giant human body or the acrobat suspended from the ceiling.
24:41 Alice Levine? He's just a few metres away when Wenham stops outside the money zone. The glass floor and ceiling are lined with twenty pound notes and there's a sign telling visitors the notes add up to a million pounds. Surely Wenham isn't stupid enough to try and steal the notes? Swinny spots Wenham look over his shoulder and quickly retreats behind an information board about the British Stock Exchange. He holds his breath as Wenham pushes through a turnstile and into a metal vault on the far side of the room. Swinny leans forward as Wenham places the black bag on the floor, unzips it slowly, watches as Wenham pulls out... a camcorder.
25:26 Alice Levine? Swinny creeps forward, positions himself behind Wenham, strains to make out what he's zooming in on at the centre of the vault. His eyes flick to a neon sign beside the exhibit. It reads: Flawless, second largest in the world, worth three hundred and fifty million pounds.
25:48 Alice Levine? Swinny's whole body tightens. He stares at Wenham in shock as he realises: Wenham is going to try and steal the Millennium Star Diamond.
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27:06 Alice Levine? October 2000, Whitstable, Kent.
27:11 Alice Levine? Ray lets the salty air hit his face as he leans against the sea wall. Fishing boats bob in the harbor. All around him, couples stroll hand in hand along the promenade, whilst kids rush towards the beach with bright plastic buckets and spades. Lee appears at his side, two Mr. Whippies melting down his tattooed knuckles. You did want a flake. What the fuck are we doing here, anyway? Ray does his best to ignore Lee's chuntering as he grabs his cone. Terry insisted Ray and Lee come down to Whitstable, but he wouldn't say why. Ray knows it's made Lee even more skittish and paranoid. Lee hasn't been in his right mind lately,
27:55 Alice Levine? thinking every dog walker that comes near the farm is spying on them. Just eat your fucking ice cream.
28:03 Alice Levine? Ray set the raid's date for the 7th of November, and everything is in place. Almost. The JCB to ram raid their way into the dome. The smoke and stink bombs to clear the public. The nail gun to break the glass in the vault. The only thing left to figure out is their getaway vehicle. He's running through options in his head when a roar erupts from the ocean. Ray's eyes flick towards the sea as swimmers scatter in the water.
28:32 Alice Levine? Terry is doing doughnuts in a speedboat. Get in then, boys, before I take them ladies for a spin instead. I thought we weren't supposed to be drawing attention to ourselves. Ray ignores Lee, waves a hand at Terry and strides towards the sea. You said you wanted a getaway vehicle. Terry gestures proudly at the boat. Thought I'd take a leaf out of your book, Lee. The whole Nine Elms job might have been a fucking shitshow. But from what I've heard, your getaway was perfect. Ray can't believe he didn't think of it himself. The Thames wraps around half of the dome. This is spot on, mate.
29:13 Alice Levine? They can run straight to the boat with the diamond, cross the Thames, and disappear in minutes. Ray piles into the boat. Give us a go then, Terry. A few minutes later, Ray is steering the speedboat around the harbour, enjoying the light summer breeze on his face. He feels a dampness, looks down, groans. The boat is low and water is beginning to come in from the sides.
29:43 Alice Levine? He turns to Lee and is annoyed to see he's doing a bump of cocaine in the backseat.
29:47 Matt Forde? Not now, Lee. Just wait until you've docked.
29:52 Alice Levine? It's dangerous if anything. He's getting a Yale key up the nostril.
29:57 Matt Forde? Do you think that's why how they lose the septum?
30:00 Matt Forde? We've all been doing it on speedboats off a key.
30:02 Alice Levine? It's because of the weight of all you fat fucks. Well, can you do something to sort it?
30:08 Matt Forde? A ZMPIC?
30:11 Alice Levine? But he sees an odd look in Lee's eyes. Unease swells in Ray's gut as Lee stands up. The boat rocks as he points wildly towards the shore. There, him, he just took a photo with us, I knew it! Ray cranes his neck, struggling to make out a middle-aged man on the beach. He does seem to be pointing a camera towards them.
30:34 Alice Levine? Dock the boat!
30:36 Alice Levine? Lee! I said fucking dock it! Before Ray has even reached the beach, Lee's scrambling through the water. Ray looks up as the man with the camera innocently snaps pictures of seagulls. Fuck's sake, Lee, he's a fucking tourist! But Lee's already across the shingle, planting a punch firmly on the photographer's cheek. Fuck's sake, Lee! We're being watched! I told you, Ray, we're being watched! He's a bird watcher, Lee!
31:10 Alice Levine? Ray points to the visibly shaken man stumbling across the beach away from Lee, binoculars around his neck, a copy of Colin's Bird Guide sticking out of his pocket. He's sick of being Lee's minder, he's like a goddamn child. He promised himself he wouldn't hesitate to pull Lee from the job if he put him and the others in danger again. And as he drags Lee back to the boat, he decides. Lee's work on this plan is done. Everything is in place, but it'll be safer for everyone if Lee stays at the farm. He isn't about to risk £350 million on Lee Wenham.
31:57 Alice Levine? A few minutes later, Whitstable, Kent. Swinny flinches as the doors of the unmarked police van swing open. DS Lloyd, from Scotland Yard Surveillance Wing, stumbles inside, holding a bag of frozen peas to his swollen eye. Swinny stares at him, horrified. Oh, that Wenham is a head case!
32:21 Matt Forde? But Lee was right, it was a copper.
32:24 Alice Levine? Lee was absolutely right.
32:25 Matt Forde? Also, I thought the bird guide book was a bit...
32:28 Alice Levine? It's a bit on the nose, isn't it?
32:29 Matt Forde? Yeah, you don't just carry around guidebooks for whatever you're indulging at the time, do you?
32:33 Alice Levine? Also, do you need a book to spot a seagull? Swinney ignores him, instead scrolls through the contents of his camera. Zooming in on the gang, baseball caps pulled low over their faces.
32:46 Alice Levine? He looks up as the van door slams again. His constable peers inside, a grin on her face. You'll never guess who owns that speedboat, sir. It's registered to a Mr. Terry Diamond. Diamond? Swinney slams his mug on the desk. These idiots.
33:05 Matt Forde? That is idiotic.
33:07 Alice Levine? It's so stupid, why would you do that?
33:10 Matt Forde? Yeah, first name Terry, um, middle name Diamond, and surname Thief.
33:17 Alice Levine? Swinney has pieced together that Ray Betson is the brains of this operation, and he's convinced he's intending to use a modified J C B they've been monitoring to gain access to the dome.
33:29 Alice Levine? This boat must be the intended getaway vehicle, just like at Nine Elms. But he still has no idea how they're planning on getting into the vault itself, or when they're planning the heist. But what he does know is right now, it feels like they're laughing at him.
33:53 Alice Levine? Twelve hours later, he stands in the dome's security office. Dawn light splinters the London skyline. He sips his coffee, fixes his gaze on the churning river below. Imagines Betson and Wenham piling into the speedboat, Diamond in hand. He pushes the thought from his mind.
34:14 Alice Levine? A microwave pings. He refocuses on the security guard next to him, chomping on a Russell's burger.
34:20 Matt Forde? Oh, Russell's burgers. They were massive. It's a burger that you can microwave and it's, it is pretty good.
34:27 Alice Levine? Is it?
34:28 Matt Forde? Oh, yeah. Yeah, as far as microwave burgers go. And I've tried them all. Russell's, what was it, naught's tasty in 60 seconds?
34:36 Alice Levine? That's quite the guarantee.
34:38 Matt Forde? I mean, the bread, you're microwaving the bread along with the meat. A lot of it doesn't make sense to me scientifically, but those boffins at Russell's figured it out. They've got their best brains on it.
34:47 Alice Levine? Wasn't it one of those things like Covid, where scientists from all around the world combined their research? So it was a sort of joint global effort?
34:54 Matt Forde? Yeah, there were lots of conspiracy theories. People saying, oh, you can't have a Russell's burger like in years to come. Like five years, you'll all be dead if you have it. People saying, I'm not having the Russell's burger. I won't let my kids have it, you know? Lots of misinformation. It's good for you. And I've been around long enough to prove it. I mean, I got cancer a couple of years ago, but I don't think that was connected.
35:16 Alice Levine? The security guard finishes the burger in three bites, checks his watch and rises to his feet. I've got to go open up now. Do you want to come see it for yourself?
35:26 Alice Levine? Swinny follows the guard down into the money zone, watching the security team perform their well-organised routine, punching in codes, disabling alarms and finally, twisting the large silver wheel to open the thick metal doors. Swinny steps into the vault.
35:45 Alice Levine? A toddler races freely past him and stumbles, falling to the floor in a loud scream. Swinny watches as the toddler's father rushes forward, holds his son up to the diamond, taps the reinforced glass. He smiles as the toddler instead stares at his own reflection.
36:04 Alice Levine? But as he watches, an unsettling reality starts to dawn on him. This kid is just a foot away from the diamond, separated only by a single pane of reinforced glass.
36:17 Matt Forde? Toddler thieves. It's the perfect cover.
36:22 Alice Levine? Nick him! You're doing twenty to life, mate. Maybe the robbers aren't planning to open the vault at all. Maybe they're planning to strike when it's already open, during the day. Sven leans against the wall, horrified. If he's going to catch the robbers in the act, he's going to have to risk the lives of the general public. And that means he can't just rely on the flying squad. He's going to need permission, right from the top.
37:02 Alice Levine? 6th of November 2000, Millennium Dome, London. Pierre-Yves Jebo folds his arms as he gives his security team a stern dressing down. This is unacceptable.
37:17 Matt Forde? I did remember him, right?
37:18 Alice Levine? You did! This was mad trivia that on episode one you dragged from the recesses of your mind.
37:23 Matt Forde? He became a tabloid obsession. In fact, I think the sun called him Pierre-Yves Jebel, Gerbil. I think part of the problem was lots of people didn't like the dome, because as we've heard, it was pretty rubbish. And then the idea that a Frenchman would come and save it, I think really annoyed some people. Not me. I say, "Come one, come all, to save our dome."
37:47 Alice Levine? A different time.
37:49 Matt Forde? Very different. We hadn't had a foreign manager of the England team yet. This is pre-Sven, pre-Fabio, pre-Thomas. Back then, major English things were run by major English men or women.
38:02 Alice Levine? No, just men.
38:05 Alice Levine? Gerbo was brought in in February as chief executive to help save the struggling dome. He's already turned around Euro Disney, but with its terrible press and dropping visitor numbers, the Millennium Dome is proving to be a tougher prospect. The fourth time in as many weeks, the fez from the giant brain inside the body exhibit has been stolen by schoolkids.
38:28 Matt Forde? Hang on, why is there a fez and why is it so easy to grab?
38:34 Alice Levine? Two fair questions, considering what I've just told you. So, as part of this bonkers set of exhibitions that were in the Millennium Dome, there was a fez to commemorate and represent the comedian Tommy Cooper. And in this section of the body exhibit, there was a voiceover of Tommy Cooper doing classic gags, and there were some more voiceover of hecklers and audiences laughing. All of this as a kind of tribute to a national treasure who died in 1984.
39:08 Matt Forde? But it was just a brain, there's no actual footage of Cooper.
39:11 Alice Levine? No.
39:12 Matt Forde? What a weird way. Why not just have his spleen or his large intestine?
39:18 Alice Levine? Very odd, very odd indeed.
39:22 Alice Levine? I'm sick of teenagers running amok around here. He thinks he hears sniggers from a couple of his staff. This is simply not just about the fez. If word gets out that we're not in control here, we are just feeding the Daily Mail headlines.
39:37 Alice Levine? He sweeps out of the room, down the corridor, back to his desk, as his assistant jumps up.
39:44 Alice Levine? Sir, the police are here to see you. What now? He sinks into his chair and ushers the man in. He takes in his dour expression, his pock-marked face. DCI John Swinfield, I head up the flying squad, Mr Gerbo. DCI Swinfield leans forward, his face is grave. I'll cut to the chase, Mr Gerbo. I'm afraid we've got intelligence that robbers are planning to target the dome tomorrow.
40:13 Matt Forde? Yes, yes, the fez, it happens every day. Why are you getting involved?
40:18 Alice Levine? What intelligence? Gerbo feels Swinfield look him up and down. He's clearly deciding how much to tell him. For months, a gang have been modifying a vehicle, a JCB, which we believe will be used to force their way into the dome. Today, that vehicle was moved to a nearby coal yard. Jervois' mouth feels dry. But what did they want with the dome? I'm afraid, we believe, they're after the millennium jewels. Impossible. The vault is made out of reinforced steel. It has state-of-the-art security. But DCI Swinfield cuts into his thoughts. I'm afraid this gang is very sophisticated. And they're planning to strike during the day,
41:03 Alice Levine? when the exhibition, the vault, is open to the public. Jervois glances down at the invoices stacked on his desk, his brain scrambled. It cannot close the place down. We're emerging money as it is. I don't want you to. I want you to remain open. We'll swap out all of your staff for armed officers. Jervois removes his rimless glasses, taking this in. He pictures officers marching into the dome with semi-automatic weapons. Detective Inspector, if the dome remains open, the public will be able to enter? He thinks he sees Swinfield shuffle awkwardly for the first time, avert his gaze. I'm afraid we can't do anything to arouse suspicion.
41:46 Alice Levine? So, yes, some public are likely to be in the area when... Jervois interrupts. When the shootout happens?
41:56 Matt Forde? Mate, this is an opportunity. It's the most exciting thing that will ever happen in the dome. Embrace it. It's the heist zone.
42:05 Alice Levine? This is a gift to you. Just uttering the words makes Jervois' heart race. He stares at Swinfield. Is this guy for real? If there's even a chance the public will be injured... If we want to be sure of a conviction, we have to catch these robbers in the act. Jervois snaps. Will you stop thinking like a police officer and start thinking like a parent whose child is shot on a trip to the dome? With respect, Mr. Jervois, these robbers are coming whether you like it or not. It's up to you whether you want the police to be there when they do. Unease swells in Jervois' gut as he realizes the detective inspector isn't asking for permission.
42:48 Alice Levine? Jobo has to figure out a way of making sure no children find their way into that vault. He takes a deep breath and nods to DCI Swimfield. "Okay, tell me what I need to do."
43:10 Alice Levine? The next day, 6am, 7th of November 2000, Kent.
43:16 Alice Levine? Ray's alarm clock blares in the pitch black, but he's already been awake hours. Eleven months of careful planning has all been leading to today. He pads down into the kitchen and takes in the mound of unpaid bills on the table. Yesterday, bailiffs came for his Jag. He promised his wife he'd sort it, and today, that's exactly what he intends to do.
43:45 Alice Levine? An hour later, he arrives at the coal yard in Plumstead and strides over to the looming yellow JCB. Aldo and Bill are already waiting for him, rubbing their hands against the bitter air and grinning excitedly.
43:58 Matt Forde? Which ones were Aldo and Bill?
44:00 Alice Levine? So these are the extra hands on deck to help them actually do the heist. So Aldo, he's the gelled-haired, pretty boy, and then Bill is a mate of Ray's who's a bit of a tough guy.
44:12 Alice Levine? Ray forces a smile before pulling on his grotesque rubber mask. Another joke shop find from Lee. He's instantly transformed into a bald Halloween baddie, but his chest feels tight. He knows these men have put their faith in him. Whatever happens, he can't let them down. He opens the door of the JCB and hauls his frame up into the driver's seat, glancing briefly at the carefully altered interior of the vehicle. His hand is shaking as he turns on the ignition. He takes a deep, nervous breath, tries to sediate himself, and slowly guides the digger out of the coal yard and into the dense rush hour traffic.
44:54 Alice Levine? He feels the weight of the atmosphere in the cab: hot, tense, silent. He quickly reaches for the radio dial, fiddles until "Who Let the Dogs Out?" starts blaring. Aldo mockingly sings along. Ray laughs as the three men bark.
45:15 Matt Forde? It was like the Baha men were in the room, if they were cockney wrong'uns.
45:20 Alice Levine? Ray presses harder on the accelerator, glances briefly in the rear-view mirror, checks his watch. He doesn't want to arrive before opening. He lifts his mask to let the air hit his face, tells himself to calm down. He never should have let Lee's paranoia get under his skin. But then he sees Bill peering over his shoulder, and he's shooting Ray a concerned expression. Boys, I think we're being followed.
45:52 Alice Levine? Ray doesn't reply. By a police car. Look. Ray swerves in and out of the traffic, but still, there it is, again and again. He hears his pulse rushing in his ears.
46:06 Alice Levine? Fear strikes Ray's chest as the police car puts its lights on. A siren begins to blare as the car streaks forward. Ray's head is a mess. Does he pull over, play innocent?
46:21 Alice Levine? And then the car streaks past them.
46:24 Alice Levine? Ray collapses forward in relief as he feels the air drain from his body.
46:30 Alice Levine? He pulls the JCB over, kills the engine, tries to calm his breathing. Fuck me. He looks up and above the London skyline, spots the distinctive outline of the 1,200-meter masts sticking out of the dome. He narrows his eyes. He pulls at the gear stick, kicks the engine back into life with a guttural roar. The smell of diesel fills his nostrils.
46:59 Alice Levine? He's less than half a mile away. And from now on, he isn't going to let anything stop him from getting his hands on that diamond.
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49:16 Alice Levine? Seconds later, the 7th November 2000, Millennium Dome, London. Swinny grips his hair with his hands, his face is red, his throat stings. He yells into the radio, apoplectic. "Make sure that fucking squad car stays out of the fucking area. I don't want uniform coming anywhere near the dome." He's convinced Mr. Gerbo to hand over control of the dome to the flying squad. But he knows that despite Gerbo's best efforts, a trickle of the general public are still likely to be close by.
49:51 Matt Forde? What were his best efforts?
49:54 Alice Levine? Well, it's funny you say that because their best efforts was a cordon saying that the money zone was closed for maintenance.
50:00 Matt Forde? Just a sign?
50:01 Alice Levine? Just a sign.
50:02 Matt Forde? Just one of those little plastic, yellow A-frames. "Please don't come in."
50:07 Alice Levine? "Wet floor." Swinny keeps his eyes trained on the grainy image of the JCB on the monitor. Behind the wheel, Betson, in a cheap novelty mask, seems to accelerate. Swinny lets himself breathe. He shouts into the police radio. "Okay, the target's still on the approach. Positions!" He's put in place a 200-strong team.
50:33 Matt Forde? Do you think Gerbo was like, "Such quite a lot of people? Could you get them to just exit through the gift shop? We'd buy some pencils and rubbers, it might be a lot of fun this day."
50:41 Alice Levine? He watches as they start putting on yellow dome workers' vests and cleaner tabards whilst the firearms unit clatter towards the service corridor underneath the money zone.
50:53 Alice Levine? He tries to silence the nagging doubt that his position, his glittering career, his reputation rests on the next few hours.
51:03 Alice Levine? He strides out onto the balcony, looking over the main concourse. Spots the first trickle of tourists spill out of the ticket booths. An eerie silence fills the space as he takes up the police radio. "I need a location update."
51:20 Alice Levine? But at that moment, he hears a resounding crash echo around the dome. Below, the few visitors who have made it into the space share curious looks. Another crash. Swinney looks around desperately. Where is it coming from? Then he sees shards of aluminium spew out onto the concourse. Swinney's eyes widen as the yellow JCB bursts through the dome wall into the foyer. The impact is like something from an action film. There's no sign of it stopping, or even slowing down. He hears a piercing scream, sees one of his officers is directly in the JCB's path.
52:05 Alice Levine? Swinney clenches his fists around the balcony rail, unable to do anything about the horror unfolding in front of him. But at the last second, Betson takes a sharp turn, leaving the officer trembling on the floor. Swinney pulls himself together. His radio crackles into life. It's the firearms unit. Permission to apprehend the suspect. But Swinney looks around at the visitors, staring wide-eyed at the racing digger. A shootout now would be devastating. Hold off. Let the robbers get into the vault. We'll trap them there. He tells himself he's making the right call. He can't risk anyone getting hurt.
52:48 Alice Levine? Even if that means letting the thieves get direct access to the Millennium Star. 7th of November 2000, Millennium Dome, London. Ray staggers out of the smoking cap and removes his rubber mask. He touches his nose, sees red blood streaked across his hand. He must have broken it when the JCB struck the shutter. His stomach churns as searing pain hits him. Ray, you alright, mate? Ray pushes through the pain, dragging on his gas mask, just as Aldo and Bill send
53:33 Alice Levine? smoke and stink bombs skittering across the concourse. Get a fucking move on!
53:41 Alice Levine? Ray looks up. This is it. The vault. He clambers over the turnstile. Feels himself hesitate, just for a second. He's pictured this moment so many times in the last 11 months. He can't believe it's real. It's happening.
54:00 Alice Levine? He's pulled out of his reverie by the sound of the nail gun. Then shattered glass as Bill raises a sledgehammer above his head. In two strikes, the glass explodes and falls to the floor. Bill catches Ray's eye, mouth half open. Ray can't believe how easy it is. He reaches in to grab the diamond. He hears the quick thud of the nail gun again. Sees Bill firing at the glass protecting the smaller, blue diamonds. Ray's pulse rises. That's not fucking part of the plan! Just the Millennium Star! But then he feels a cold shadow behind him. He watches as two police officers tackle Bill to the ground.
54:44 Alice Levine? And that's when he hears it. The cold, clear voice. Ray Betson, put your fucking hands in the air!
55:09 Alice Levine? From Wondery and SamusD Audio, this is the second episode in our series, The Millennium Dome Heist.
55:15 Matt Forde? A quick note about our dialogue. In most cases, we can't know exactly what was said, but all our dramatizations are based on historical research.
55:22 Alice Levine? If you'd like to know more about this story, you can read Diamond Geezers by Chris Hollington, Diamond Gangster by Lee Wenham, or Dome Raiders by John Shatford and William Doyle. And you can watch the heist at the Millennium Dome from the BBC, or Diamond Heist on Netflix.
55:38 Matt Forde? Please keep your scandal suggestions coming. We're getting all sorts of weird, wacky, and wonderful ideas. BritishScandal at wondery.com. A huge thank you to everyone who's already sent them in.
55:47 Alice Levine? Yes, thank you. British Scandal is hosted by me, Alice Levine.
55:51 Matt Forde? And me, Matt Ford.
55:53 Alice Levine? Written by Lydia Marchant. Additional writing by Alice Levine and Matt Ford. Our story editor is James Maniac. Sound design by Dan King. Our engineer is Jai Williams. For Samizdat, our producer is Redzi Bernard. Our assistant producer is Louise Mason. Our senior producers are Joe Sykes and Dasha Lisitzina. Executive producers for Wondry are Theodora Leludis, Estelle Doyle, and Marshall Louie.
56:31 Speaker 04 Ghosts aren't real. At least, that's what journalist Tristan Redmond always believed. Sure, odd things happen in his childhood bedroom, but ultimately, he shrugged them off. Until he discovered that he wasn't alone, that everyone who lived thereafter him also had bizarre experiences they couldn't explain. And it gets even weirder. It just so happens that his wife's great-grandmother was murdered in the house next door. Is this ghost somehow connected to her murder? He decides to go where no son-in-law should, digging up a cold case and asking questions that nobody wants answered. Like, could his wife's great-grandfather have gotten away with the perfect crime? This is a podcast about family secrets, overwhelming coincidence, and the things that come back
57:16 Speaker 04 to haunt us. For the best bingeable series like Ghost Story, listen to the Audible True Crime Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can get all episodes early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.
57:32 Speaker 06 Imagine you're reading Pride and Prejudice, except you're not reading it. Harris Dickinson and Marissa Abella are reading it to you on Audible. Her barbs sting you. His coldness sends a shiver up your spine. Your heart aches. Your ears burn. You yearn for Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy to profess their undying love for one another. You can't bear it any longer. Well, maybe a chapter longer. Performance is so good, you'll give love a second chance. Audible. Stories that speak to you.
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