Arrested over UK heist

Two people have been arrested in connection with the multi-million-dollar armed robbery in southeast England, police say.

Detectives from Kent police's serious and major crime squad arrested a 29-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman in the London area, according to a police statement yesterday.

Detectives hunted yesterday for an armed gang who posed as police to steal up to £50 million in what could be Britain's biggest-ever cash robbery.

Airports and ports were put on full alert in case the gang attempted to flee the country and a two million pound reward was offered.

Six raiders snatched the manager of a security depot, took his wife and young son hostage and threatened to kill them unless he helped them get inside the compound, police said. "These men were armed, dangerous and violently threatening," said Detective Superintendent Paul Gladstone.

"They held the manager in fear of his life, and that of his wife and son, for more than six hours and threatened to kill him and his family before raiding the depot."

The Bank of England, Britain's central bank, confirmed that £25 million of its money had been stolen. Assistant Chief Constable Adrian Leppard told a news conference the final figure could hit £50 million.

If confirmed at £50 million, it would eclipse the previous record theft of cash and valuables worth up to £40 million from a safe deposit box centre in Knightsbridge, central London in 1987.

Mr Leppard said they were keeping an open mind about the robbery and would not rule out an inside job, with someone working inside the depot to help the gang.