A recovered Llama pistol
The police have renewed an appeal to find a stolen unique collection of guns used in James Bond films.
Burglars took five weapons from the North London home of an avid collector of film memorabilia.
The de-activated guns taken include two pistols from Die Another Day and a Walther PPK used by Roger Moore in A View To A Kill.
The guns are thought to be worth £100,000.
They were part of a collection started 50 years ago by engineer John Reynolds, .
Mr Reynolds, 56, said at the time:
“I sat facing the wall for the next two days.
“The flame has gone out of my life.
“Have you ever felt like you wanted to die?
“Like you couldn’t face the next day?
“If the CID hadn’t knocked on the door to discuss what had happened and how to move forward, I would probably still be sitting staring at the wall.”
Mr Reynolds started collecting as a child.
He’s amassed hundreds of pieces of Bond memorabilia including posters, items of clothing and around 60 other guns.
He said: “It’s probably the finest collection of its type under one roof and the daft thing is the people who broke in went straight past all of that and ignored everything and didn’t know what it was.
“If they had known what was in the house, they would have taken a lot more, it would be completely empty.”
The rest of the items, worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, have now all been moved into storage after the burglary.
The collection of weapons was about to be sent to the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds for an exhibition prior to the burglary.
One of the guns – the yellow handled Llama pistol – has been recovered, but officers are still asking for help.
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A car seen outside the robbery
The suspects, described as white men with Eastern European accents, had forced entry into the rear of the building before stealing the collectable guns.
Wearing black clothing and face coverings, the three men jumped through a window and drove off in a silver Vauxhall Minerva before police arrived.
CCTV footage shows a vehicle in the run up to the burglary parked on the street where the offence took place.
Detective Inspector Paul Ridley said: “It has now been a year since the burglary and only one of the firearms has so far been recovered.
“Sadly, this has been severely rusted due to being exposed to the elements outdoors and its integrity destroyed.
“We have released images of a vehicle that was parked near to the scene of the crime and appears to be carrying out reconnaissance in the area.
“I believe these individuals were involved in the crime, it was only a matter of minutes prior to the raid.
“The owner of these unique items is still completely devastated, particularly in terms of the sentimental value; they were due to be showcased on display as part of a national exhibition.
“He is determined to see the return of the items.
“I would urge any members of the public that may have witnessed the burglars arriving and leaving, know where the firearms are now or may have been offered these stolen items for sale to come forward to my investigation team as a priority.”
The stolen guns:
- Beretta ‘Cheetah’ auto pistol, serial number H02641Y – featured in Die Another Day
- Walther PPK, serial number 146872 – featured in A View to a Kill
- Revolver Smith and Weston 44 Magnum, serial number N60304 – featured in Live and Let Die
- Beretta ‘Tomcat’ auto pistol, serial number DAA264306 – featured in Die Another Day with a laser/silencer attachment
