Detective Leonard ‘Nipper’ Read who arrested Kray Twins dies aged 95
Written by News on 07/04/2020
The detective who arrested Britain’s most notorious gangsters, the Kray Twins, has died.
Leonard “Nipper” Read led a Scotland Yard team which pursued Reggie and Ronnie Kray and brought to an end their life of crime in London’s East End.
As a detective chief superintendent, he was head of the Yard’s murder squad when he was handed the job of bringing the violent and charismatic twins to justice.
He set up a squad of trusted detectives who worked in secret and had to overcome the corruption of other colleagues.
The Krays were minor celebrities, ran nightclubs and counted among their friends show business stars such as the late US singer Judy Garland and former EastEnders actress Barbara Windsor.
The brothers were jailed for life imprisonment at the Old Bailey in 1969 after being convicted of the murders of villains Jack “The Hat” McVitie and George Cornell.
Mr Read was 95. A tweet from a Scotland Yard Twitter account suggested he had died with coronavirus.
The Metropolitan Police Heritage Centre tweeted: “We are sad to announce that Leonard “Nipper” Read QPM died this morning aged 95. A Met legend, he is best known for his part in bringing the Kray Twins to justice and his autobiographies hold places of honour in our collections. #RIP #Nipper #NipperRead #coronavirusuk #legend.”
He joined the Metropolitan police in 1947 after serving with the Navy in World War Two. At 5ft 8in he was too short to join his local Nottinghamshire force, which insisted its recruits were at least 6ft tall. Even then, he had to do stretching exercises before he applied.
He eventually joined the Notts force as an assistant chief constable before retiring.
Mr Read’s role in the Kray story was played by actor Christopher Eccleston in the 2015 movie Legend, also starring Tom Hardy who played both twins.
After his retirement Mr Read, a keen amateur boxer, went on to join the British Boxing Board of Control where he became chairman.
Simon Block, Honorary Secretary of the Commonwealth Boxing Council, said: “Nipper was a member of the Board’s Southern Area Council when I first started with them in 1979 and I was quite eager to meet the famous gang-busting detective who I assumed would be a big, burly character.
“It was quite a surprise to find he was of modest size, quietly spoken with a clerical air about him.”
Boxing promoter Frank Warren wrote: “Nipper was a great man and a good friend.”
(c) Sky News 2020: Detective Leonard ‘Nipper’ Read who arrested Kray Twins dies aged 95
