The League of Gentlemen

A manhole opens on a quiet street at night and Lieutenant-Colonel Norman Hyde climbs out in a dinner suit. He gets into a Rolls-Royce and drives back to his house. Inside, he begins assembling seven envelopes, each containing the American crime paperback The Golden Fleece, one half of each of ten £5-notes, and an invitation to a lunch at Cafe Royal hosted by Co-Operative Removals Ltd.

Hyde mails seven envelopes to former army officers, each in desperate or humiliating circumstances. They all turn up at the Cafe Royal lunch to receive the other halves of their £5 notes. During the gathering, Hyde reveals he knows the misdeeds that led each man to leave the service and hints at a bigger plan. The men remain curious about what he intends next.

The assembled officers discuss the novel and Hyde reveals his dossier on their past actions. The group shows little enthusiasm for the book, but Hyde's knowledge of their histories grabs their attention. He unveils the plan to rob a bank, promising each man around £100,000 and hinting that it could be more.

The gang debates the scheme under the guise of an amateur dramatic society rehearsing Journey's End. After agreeing to Hyde's plan, they move into Hyde's house and live like a military unit, enforcing a regimented routine with monetary fines for offenses. The fines are to be deducted from the loot as the crew adopts a strict code.

Hyde explains that over the past year he has compiled detailed information about the regular delivery of roughly a million pounds in used banknotes to a City bank. He outlines the motive and the expected payoff, promising about £100,000 for each man with potential for more. The sense of impending reward reinforces the group's commitment.

To secure weapons, the gang raids an army training camp in Dorset. Hyde, Race, Mycroft, and Porthill create a distraction by posing as senior officers during an unscheduled food inspection, while Lexy and Stevens infiltrate as telephone repairmen to steal the weapons, aided by Rutland-Smith and Weaver. The thieves even adopt Irish accents to misdirect suspicions toward the IRA.

In Hyde’s basement the gang studies maps, models, and surveillance footage to prepare for the bank robbery. They rent a warehouse where the cars and a lorry are modified and fitted with false number plates. A police patrol later spots activity but the group believes they have avoided serious scrutiny.

One day a passing policeman notices the warehouse is in use and offers to keep an eye on the beat. The gang dismisses the idea that he could have seen anything suspicious. The sense of being watched remains unacknowledged as the plan nears execution.

On the night before the robbery, Hyde destroys the detailed plans and uses the moment to thank the team for their hard work. The group steels themselves for a flawless performance the next day. The mood shifts from rehearsal to a singular focus on the heist.

The robbery unfolds with surgical precision, a bloodless and tightly orchestrated heist. Smoke bombs, Sterling submachine guns, and radio jamming are used to seize the money from the bank near St Paul’s. The gang makes a clean getaway and disappears into the night.

Back at Hyde’s house, the success is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Bunny Warren, Hyde’s former commander. He drinks and reminisces about old days as the gang members begin to depart with their share. One by one they leave with suitcases of loot, thinning the group.

Race receives a call from Superintendent Wheatlock and the authorities connect the dots. A boy who collected car registration numbers outside the bank hands over a list that matches a note tied to Hyde and his car. The link between Hyde and the robbery is established, heightening the pursuit.

Hyde walks out his front door with Bunny and is greeted by searchlights and a squad of police. He is escorted to a police van along with the others, who are already in custody as they leave the house. The dream of the perfect crime collapses under the weight of evidence.