SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Anyone remember the armed robberies that were committed at the post offices in Ellerby Lane and Leeds Bridge around the late 1960s or early 1970s? I seem to remember a senior police officer was eventually convicted for these. Any help appreciated.

Hi John,There was a robbery at Bridge End Post Office on 9th June 1966 but this robbery was not committed by a Police Officer. This robbery has already been discussed on this site:http://www.secretleeds.com/forum/Messag ... t=1However, you are correct in that there were a couple of robberies committed by a Police Officer in the late 1960's or early 1970's. These offences were committed by Roy Caisley. He was from Bradford, but worked in Leeds, later in his Police career. I knew him when he was a Detective Chief Inspector at Upper Wortley Police Station from 1965 to 1967. I can't remember where he was serving when he committed the robberies.Caisley had domestic problems which caused depression, etc. He carried out the robberies in Leeds. I was working in the Leeds Crime Squad from 1968 to 1972 and some of my colleagues arrested him and dealt with him for the offences.Whilst he was on bail, he was involved in a serious traffic accident just before he was due to appear on an Identification Parade. He came out of hospital and attended the Parade. It was an absolute farce because he turned up covered in bandages all around his head and face (a bit like the Invisible Man). The Identification Parade rules stated that all of the people on the Parade had to be dressed similarly so all of the other seven people (volunteers) had to wear bandages, etc., in a similar manner. Obviously, Caisley was not identified. However, due to other evidence, and photographs which were taken of the 'farce' Identification Parade, he was convicted and went to jail.I don't know whether or not the traffic accident was an attempt to commit suicide but even though he survived, he tried to use the accident to his advantage, with his appearance on the Identification Parade, but this was bad advice from his solicitor as it went against him.Another thing that I remember is that one of the officers who arrested him, and dealt with him, was Detective Constable John Stockwell (who died in the mid 1970's and was the elder brother of the well known Bradford Northern rugby player - Dave Stockwell). John had worked under Caisley in the C.I.D. at Upper Wortley Police Station and was a close colleague at that time. I think that the senior detective on the case was Detective Inspector Bill Speight (who eventually became a Chief Superintendent before he retired).My memories are a bit vague about the case but I hope that this helps.Ian.

The Black Panther,(Donald Neilson) did a number of Post Offices in the North and Midlands in the early seventies. In fact I think he was caught while doing one in Mansfield. He was also apparently the notorious "brace and bit" burglar who did quite a few homes in Gildersome in the late sixties too .

Anecdotal, but a lady i used to know claimed to have been working at the post office on Brudenell Road when there was an armed robbery, cira 1980s. She said they knew the guy there as he was a regular, and he'd put a stocking over his head, the slight flaw was that it just made him look like the guy they knew with a stocking over his head.He ended up getting nicked, and she didn;t go back there the next day or ever again.

Trojan wrote: The Black Panther,(Donald Neilson) did a number of Post Offices in the North and Midlands in the early seventies. In fact I think he was caught while doing one in Mansfield. He was also apparently the notorious "brace and bit" burglar who did quite a few homes in Gildersome in the late sixties too . Hi Trojan,The 'brace and bit' method of committing burglary was used by quite a lot of criminals. The main man in the Leeds area, during the 1960's, was called Fowler, who did hundreds, and was the most prolific of them all. Ian.

iansmithofotley wrote: Trojan wrote: The Black Panther,(Donald Neilson) did a number of Post Offices in the North and Midlands in the early seventies. In fact I think he was caught while doing one in Mansfield. He was also apparently the notorious "brace and bit" burglar who did quite a few homes in Gildersome in the late sixties too . Hi Trojan,The 'brace and bit' method of committing burglary was used by quite a lot of criminals. The main man in the Leeds area, during the 1960's, was called Fowler, who did hundreds, and was the most prolific of them all. Ian. Well I didn't know that, but I know at Neilson's trial it was brought out that he'd done burglaries using this method.

Hi Ian, Thanks very much for that. I thought it was Roy Caisely who was responsible but I wasn't sure. You've confirmed it and more.I served with him in CID as either DI or DCI at Gipton around 1967/68. I think he was replaced by 'Charlie' Clarke, but my memory fails me a little on actual dates as there does seem to be some overlap with the time you recall at Wortley. What always amazed me about Caisley though was his mastery of handguns. On one occasion we were taken to Strensall army camp to be taught the basics of shooting with a handgun. I remember Roy just watching us. At the end of the day Caisely and the army sergeant had their own personal competition and Caisely won easily. Using a 9mm automatic he put every round into a group that was about four inches in diameter. I think he must have had a forces background to have been so good. Thanks again for clearing up my question. I didn't know about the interesting i/d farce.John

John Croggy wrote: Hi Ian, Thanks very much for that. I thought it was Roy Caisely who was responsible but I wasn't sure. You've confirmed it and more.I served with him in CID as either DI or DCI at Gipton around 1967/68. I think he was replaced by 'Charlie' Clarke, but my memory fails me a little on actual dates as there does seem to be some overlap with the time you recall at Wortley. What always amazed me about Caisley though was his mastery of handguns. On one occasion we were taken to Strensall army camp to be taught the basics of shooting with a handgun. I remember Roy just watching us. At the end of the day Caisely and the army sergeant had their own personal competition and Caisely won easily. Using a 9mm automatic he put every round into a group that was about four inches in diameter. I think he must have had a forces background to have been so good. Thanks again for clearing up my question. I didn't know about the interesting i/d farce.John Caisley's not a name you hear very often, I wonder if he was related to Chris Caisley who ran Bradford Bulls in the '90's and early noughties.

As a student in 1979, I was "press-ganged" (the officers wouldn't take no for an answer) into an ID parade which was also farce-like. A group of us who all looked vaguely similar were lined up in an office in the police station - no two-way mirror or special sound-proofed room to protect everyone's anonymity. The suspect was brought in and stuck in the middle of the line-up. He was about a foot shorter than the rest of us, and looked hard as nails. Apparently, he was accused of GBH during a pub brawl. Eventually, the witness was brought in through another door. He looked terrified, obviously knew the bloke, and kept trying to leg it. "Fourth from the left" wasn't good enough, and the witness was forced to prod the smirking nutter in the chest, after which he turned and ran for the exit. The whole thing was obviously a formality - a procedure required for nailing the suspect, and it meant I missed my evening class.I got 50p and a ride home in a police car.            

Si wrote: As a student in 1979, I was "press-ganged" (the officers wouldn't take no for an answer) into an ID parade which was also farce-like. A group of us who all looked vaguely similar were lined up in an office in the police station - no two-way mirror or special sound-proofed room to protect everyone's anonymity. The suspect was brought in and stuck in the middle of the line-up. He was about a foot shorter than the rest of us, and looked hard as nails. Apparently, he was accused of GBH during a pub brawl. Eventually, the witness was brought in through another door. He looked terrified, obviously knew the bloke, and kept trying to leg it. "Fourth from the left" wasn't good enough, and the witness was forced to prod the smirking nutter in the chest, after which he turned and ran for the exit. The whole thing was obviously a formality - a procedure required for nailing the suspect, and it meant I missed my evening class.I got 50p and a ride home in a police car.             Like you Si, as a student I was asked to take part in an id parade in the cells under Leeds Town Hall. this would have been about 1973 or 74. The detectives who asked me were quite polite and I didn't feel press ganged. No 2 way mirrors just a line up in a corridor and the poor girl who had been assualted had to walk down the line and look closely at each of us face to face. She didn't make an id. All I got out of it was 50p and a cup of tea and a bun, + a sense of having done my civic duty!