Gangster legend and Kray Twins ‘enforcer’ Freddie Foreman dies aged 94
Gangster legend and Kray Twins hitman Freddie Foreman has died aged 94.
The convicted criminal passed away at his care home this morning following a short illness, his family said.
Known as ‘The Guv’nor’ and ‘Brown Bread Fred’, Foreman was acquitted of murder twice at the Old Bailey – but later admitted to carrying out both killings and throwing his victims’ bodies in the sea.
For most of the 1960s Foreman ruled the streets of east London with his and famed crime duo the Kray Twins’ gang The Firm.
He was involved in the disposal of the body of Jack ‘the Hat’ McVitie – murdered by Reggie Kray – and was a close associate of the Great Train Robbers, undertaking the £6million Security Express cash heist in 1983.
Foreman had recently moved out of his home in Maida Vale after reportedly becoming estranged from his family.
He died at 6.48am this morning at his care home in west London.
Paying tribute, Foreman’s godson Nick Reynolds described his death as ‘the end of an era’.
He added: ‘I saw Fred a few months ago when he was in St Mary’s Hospital and he was in great form, chatting about the old days and in amazing shape for someone his age.
Gangster legend and Kray Twins hitman Freddie Foreman has died aged 94
Freddie Foreman – also known as Brown Bread Fred – was an East London gangster who worked closely with the Kray Twins in the 1950s and 60s
The Kray Twins, Ronald and Reginald, seen here at home after helping police with their inquiries into a shooting at the Blind Beggar Pub in London in 1966
‘He had not been in the hospital long and was leaving his Maida Vale flat to move into a care home.
‘Fred was my Godfather and a good friend of my dad’s. I was very fond of him and this is very sad news.
‘He had been a great source of support for the train robbers, helping Buster Edwards and Ronnie Biggs.’
Maureen Flanagan, a former model and close friend of the Krays, also paid tribute to the ‘very warm man’.
She said: ‘Fred was the last of the old-fashioned gentleman gangsters.
‘He was a very warm man who would treat women like princesses and was very kind to children and if any man upset them, they would suffer for it.
‘He was the last of the old guard and only Chris Lambrianou is left now from the Krays’ Firm.’
In 2018, Foreman put on a sharp navy blue suit for the release of the biographical film Fred: The Godfather of British Crime, which premiered as part of the East End Film Festival in London.
Fred: The Godfather of British Crime premiered at the East End Film Festival on April 13, 2018. Foreman is pictured here
Foreman attends the launch of Sam Dowler’s debut book ‘The Insider’ at the Sanctum Soho Hotel on September 18, 2018 in London
He was joined by fellow mobster Dave Courtney, 59, at the star-studded bash.
The film delved into the life of the Foreman, allegedly responsible for numerous murders while acting as a henchman for the formidable Kray Twins – Ronald and Reginald.
His turbulent rise through the ruthless British crime underworld grabbed headlines – with Foreman having been one of the only voices from the era still alive.
He was sentenced to ten years in prison for reportedly being involved in disposing the body of Jack ‘The Hat’ McVitie who had been murdered by Reggie Kray.
Following his prison stint, Fred found himself locked up once again after allegedly taking part in the Shoreditch Security Express robbery, which was the largest cash robbery in the UK at the time.
In total, Foreman served 16 years in 15 different jails – though he was acquitted at the Old Bailey on murder charges a record four times.
He also ran his own pub in south London and later outed himself as the organiser of the dramatic prison escape of gangster Ronnie Biggs in 1965.
The violent career criminal and self-confessed murderer went on to produce two volumes of memoirs, alongside his occasional media appearances.
