The driver of the white van, 32-year-old Andrew Ackland, kept the engine running and the heater blowing as he waited for his colleague to collect the wages. He lit up a Woodbine cigarette, wound down the window to flip out the spent match and wound it closed again. He leaned back in his seat, pulling down his cloth cap and closed his eyes, the smoke from the cigarette swirling about his head in a thick blue cloud. He does not notice the dark grey saloon car driving slowly up behind him.
Twenty-four-year-old wages clerk, Peter Cushman, the large leather bag in his hand, had gone into the bank to collect the cash for the company wages, almost £1,900 at an average workers wage of £9 10s 6d. As usual, the bank staff are waiting for him and the money is quickly placed in the bag, the white £5
