Freddie Foreman, the Kray twins' feared enforcer known as 'Brown Bread Fred', has died aged 94. The gangster was one of the most feared criminals in the 1960s who 'knew where the bodies were buried'.
He had a close relationship with Ron and Reggie Kray throughout their reign, though in later years described his time working with them as his "biggest regret". Foreman reportedly died at a west London care home following a short illness. His eldest son, Greg, was with him at the time.
From poverty to the Godfather of London
Foreman was born into poverty and began a life of crime in his early 20s selling stolen goods. He earned enough to finance a business empire which included a string of betting shops, a casino and a nightclub. He was introduced to the Kray twins in the early 60s through their elder brother Charlie.
They established a firm friendship with the twins and became known as their 'enforcer'. Foreman and the Krays' gang ruled the streets of East London for a large part of the 60s.
Murder, acquittals and the Security Express heist
When Reggie Kray killed Jack 'The Hat' McVitie in 1967 in a dispute over money, Foreman was convicted of helping the twins dispose of the body and sentenced to 10 years. Foreman was later sentenced to nine years in 1990 for the then-record £7million Security Express heist. He had been on the run since the heist in 1983 but was snatched by Spanish cops in the Costa del Sol and brought back to Britain.
The dad-of-three was released from jail in 1995 and went on to become an author – penning eight books. The underworld legend was acquitted of murder twice at the Old Bailey - but later confessed to carrying out both killings and getting rid of their bodies at sea.
Confessions and regrets
In January 1965 Foreman killed Tommy "Ginger" Marks, a friend of George "Jimmy" Evans, who had shot Foreman's brother George in the groin with a sawn-off shotgun a month earlier. He was acquitted of the murder but later admitted involvement, saying: "Alf drove the car past Marks and Evans. I pulled out a .38 and started shooting. The pair of them danced about like puppets on a string. But Evans was a coward and used Marks as a shield."
In December the following year, Foreman took part in the execution of Frank "The Mad Axeman" Mitchell, sprung from Dartmoor prison by the Krays eleven days earlier. Like Ginger Marks, his body was never found. Foreman said: "Taking Mitchell out of prison was like unleashing a mad Rottweiler on the public. The twins cosied him up with a girl in a flat but he became a nuisance and had to go. Ron asked me to help as a personal favour."
Reflecting on his life of crime, Foreman spoke of his sorrow at missing "sixteen birthdays and Christmases" away from his family in prison.
