Overview
- Courts imposed combined prison terms of more than 34 years: Craig Howell 10 years, Noel Reilly 8 years 6 months, Simon Pagett 8 years 6 months, Oliver Matthews 40 months, Daniel Hickenbottom 3 years 9 months.
- The thieves carried out nine cashpoint raids over nearly a year at banks and shops across West Mercia, Leicestershire, Avon and Somerset, Bedfordshire, Greater Manchester, Cumbria, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Staffordshire.
- Specialist tools included angle grinders and the jaws of life, with a reinforced flatbed truck used to ram entries and stolen high‑performance cars on fake plates used for getaways.
- The investigation broke open in Cumbria after three consecutive raids from 11 August 2024, when officers spotted a stolen Audi on a low loader and arrested driver Daniel Hickenbottom.
- The West Midlands Major Crime Unit led the multi-force operation under Operation Target, executed dawn arrests, released case footage, and the probe will feature on BBC Two’s Forensics: The Real CSI.