One of London's most notorious criminals, Ronnie Biggs dies aged 84

  • London
Ronnie Biggs seen during one of his last public appearances this year Credit: PA Wire

Ronnie Biggs was a low-grade villain who landed a minor role in a headline-grabbing heist. It was enough to turn him into an enduring criminal celebrity.

Biggs was never regarded as a key player in the Great Train Robbery but his spectacular escape from Wandsworth prison made Ronnie Biggs a household name.

1965: Wandsworth prison, with police at the lorry used in the escape Credit: Press Association

He was a fugitive for more than 35 years until ill-health made him desperate for Britain's NHS. A series of strokes left him increasingly frail and robbed him of speech but he continued to defy the doctors.

When he was finally released from prison on compassionate grounds in 2009 he was said to be close to death. The diagnosis turned out to be a little premature.

Ronnie Biggs Credit: Press Association

Biggs never tired of being a celebrity. At his last public appearance in August, he posed for the cameras and gave what amounted to his final interviews - pointing at letters on his speech board while his son Michael patiently translated.