The owner of a Hastings timber merchant that was searched by police hunting stolen Brinks Mat gold is claiming compensation from the police (TTJ February 17).
Ronald ‘Yonkie’ Winchester, managing director of R Winchester & Son in Ore, estimates that the five-day abortive police treasure hunt cost him £20,000. Detectives dug up the floor of his timber yard and his office in search of the £10m that is still missing from the 1983 Brinks Mat raid.
Mr Winchester said: ‘It’s not just the cost of getting things back to normal, but it is the harm which has been done to our reputation after 30 years in business.’
