Brian Boyce DCI: who was The Gold detective, what has he said about Brink’s-Mat - is he still alive?

Detective Brian Boyce, who investigated the Brink’s-Mat robbery, features in BBC documentary The Gold: The Inside Story
Brian Boyce (left) and Hugh Bonneville who plays him in The GoldBrian Boyce (left) and Hugh Bonneville who plays him in The Gold
Brian Boyce (left) and Hugh Bonneville who plays him in The Gold

BBC drama series The Gold follows the infamous 1983 robbery at a Brink's-Mat warehouse in Heathrow, which saw £26 million in gold bullion, diamonds and cash stolen.

Regarded at the time as the 'crime of the century' the heist was believed to have funded organised crime in London for decades, and gold from Brink's-Mat is believed to present in almost all jewellery made in the UK in the years after the crime.

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Such a major crime required a co-ordinated police response, and one of the lead detectives in the case, Brian Boyce, also features in the drama series, played by Hugh Bonneville.

But who was the real Brink's-Mat detective, and what happened to him after the case? This is everything you need to know about detective Brian Boyce:

Who is Brian Boyce?

Brian Boyce is a former police detective who is known for working the Brink’s-Mat gold robbery, one of the biggest heists in UK and world history, which recently became the subject of hit BBC drama The Gold.

Brian Boyce (left) and Hugh Bonneville who plays him in The GoldBrian Boyce (left) and Hugh Bonneville who plays him in The Gold
Brian Boyce (left) and Hugh Bonneville who plays him in The Gold

Boyce arrested gangster Kenneth Noye over his handling of the stolen gold and refused a bribe from the con. Noye served eight years in prison for his involvement in the heist.

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Following the Brink’s-Mat case, Boyce began working for a merchant bank and later became involved in the Macpherson inquiry into the investigation of Stephen Lawrence’s murder. He was an outspoken critic of the investigation into Lawrence’s death, suggesting that it may have been affected by racial prejudice.  

Boyce reportedly volunteered his services to the Lawrence family following his retirement from the police force and helped their legal team gather evidence. 

Speaking of the case in 2012, he said: "I think it's extremely important that all of those who killed Stephen Lawrence should be put before a jury in order that they can come to their conclusions. It's extremely important for us as a nation, which is now very much a mixed-race nation, that we take on the best traditions of British justice."

Hugh Bonneville as Brian Boyce in The GoldHugh Bonneville as Brian Boyce in The Gold
Hugh Bonneville as Brian Boyce in The Gold

What did Brian Boyce say about the Brink’s-Mat robbery?

Boyce speaks about the robbery for the first time in the new BBC One documentary, The Gold: The Inside Story. He discusses the challenges that he faced in conducting his investigation and also casts doubt on the widely held belief that the robbers did not expect to find gold during the heist.

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Boyce also speaks about the tragic death of an undercover police officer who was killed by Kenneth Noye, one of the men involved in smuggling the gold, whilst staking out his property.

Is Brian Boyce still alive?

Boyce is still alive, he is now an octogenarian and fully retired. He met with 59 year old Downton Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville, who plays him in The Gold, ahead of filming to help the star prepare for the part.

Bonneville said: “It’s been documented elsewhere that there was a significant amount of corruption in the police throughout the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s – but Boyce was clearly a man who was not going to be corrupted, which is why he was trusted by both the Security Forces and by those high up in the establishment.”

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