£80m heist bid at Heathrow

Armed police arrested seven men yesterday after foiling an attempted gold heist at Heathrow airport that would have been one of Britain's biggest-ever robberies.

The men smashed a van through steel shutters into a warehouse and threatened staff with guns and knives in a bid to steal £80 million in gold bullion and cash.

But more than 100 police officers were lying in wait after a tip-off.

"In preventing this attack, we have foiled what would have been one of the biggest robberies ever committed in the UK," said Detective Superintendent Barry Phillips, from Scotland Yard's Flying Squad that headed the operation.

Police fired special rounds, used to deflate tyres, to disable the gang's van. One officer suffered minor injuries.