Crowds gathered outside the North London Magistrates’ Court in the hope of seeing a 22-year-old housewife who had been arrested in connection with the theft of £20,000 from the Stoke Newington High Street branch of the Midland Bank.

She was charged with breaking and entering the bank and stealing cash and jewellery. But the court heard when a police officer called at her house and found nearly £9,000 in her vanity case, she denied any wrongdoing.

She had told him: “You can’t hold me for what my husband does.”

She said her husband was more than likely with two of his friends, adding: “It’s more than my life is worth to say anything about them. Ken was out all night on the Thursday you speak about.” The criminals had cut through the safe using heavy electrical cutting equipment. A crowd also gathered to watch the replacement safe being unloaded into the bank.