Bank worker in court accused of £26.5m raid

An employee accused of the £26.5m (€39.1m) Northern Bank robbery in Belfast allegedly manipulated a work rota so the raid could be carried out, a court heard today.

Chris Ward, 24, who was one of two staff members taken hostage during the heist last December, denied the charge when he appeared before a magistrate in the city.

A detective disclosed that surveillance equipment had been used before he was accused of the biggest cash theft in British history.

But Ward, of Colinmill, Poleglass, West Belfast, accused police of bugging him at home and abroad in a bid to frame him.