BBC to give police bank worker interview tape

BBC Northern Ireland is prepared to hand to the PSNI the entire recording of an interview with Chris Ward.

BBC Northern Ireland is prepared to hand to the PSNI the entire recording of an interview with Chris Ward.

He was one of two Northern Bank employees taken by the gang that carried out the robbery last December while his family was held hostage.

Mr Ward gave an interview, recorded at the offices of his solicitor, to the BBC Spotlight programme which was broadcast in January.

The PSNI asked the BBC in Belfast to hand over all of the recording, and not just the sections broadcast. The BBC has declined to comment, but The Irish Times understands the broadcaster is to comply with the police request. According to reliable sources, the Northern Bank and the PSNI did not know in advance that the Ward interview was to be broadcast.

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Mr Ward gave a detailed account of the gang's actions at his home in Poleglass, outside Belfast, when he and his family were taken hostage. He also detailed his account of the £26.5 million robbery.

The bank is to begin the replacement of its banknotes this weekend. Almost £300 million in notes will be withdrawn to facilitate the new issue, which has taken some eight weeks to organise. The new notes, in £10, £20, £50 and £100 denominations, differ from the withdrawn notes in four characteristics. They will be slightly smaller, are different colours and bear new logo styles and dates of issue.

Rosamond Bennett, head of marketing and communications at the bank, said: "This is the first time this has been done in banking history anywhere in the world. But we feel it is the right thing to do."

The new notes will be available through the bank's ATMs from Saturday and through branches from Monday.