London: Eight men, including a father-son duo, were today charged in connection with plotting one of Britain's biggest jewellery heists here last month in which diamonds, jewels and cash worth tens of millions of pounds were reported stolen.
The men - aged between 48 to 76 - who are charged with conspiracy to burgle 'Hatton Garden safety deposit' have been remanded in custody and are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court this week, Scotland Yard said.
A ninth man who was also arrested and has been released on bail pending further enquiries, police said.
The contents of 56 safe deposit boxes were taken during the raid in London's jewellery district over Easter weekend in April.
The charges were filed after nine suspects were detained on Tuesday following police raids on 12 properties in the London and Kent areas.
Officers said bags containing a significant amount of high-value property had been recovered at one of the addresses searched.
It is believed jewellery worth up to 200-million pound was taken during the raid.
Thieves used heavy cutting equipment to break into a vault at Hatton Garden, known as London's jewellery quarter, where they ransacked about 70 boxes.
The Flying Squad has apologised after it emerged a security firm's call about an intruder alert at the premises shortly after midnight on Good Friday was deemed not to require a response.
Police confirmed alarm response procedures had not been followed at the time of the raid, but the Met rejected suggestions they were bungling "Keystone Kops".
An appeal has also been launched for information about a white Ford Transit van, registration DU53 VNG, captured on CCTV in Hatton Garden on April 2.
