A HADLEIGH man has appeared in court accused of conspiring to carry out the £10million Hatton Garden jewellery heist.

It is alleged taxi driver John Harbinson, 42, of Beresford, Gardens, Hadleigh, and eight men plotted to raid Hatton Garden Safe Deposit in London’s Hatton Garden to steal jewellery and other items.

Harbinson, Terry Perkins, 67, Daniel Jones, 58, and Hugh Doyle, 48, all of Enfield, north London; William Lincoln, 59, of Bethnal Green, east London; and John Collins, 74, of Islington, north London, all appeared via videolink from HMP Belmarsh at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday.

Also appearing were Brian Reader, 76, and Paul Reader, 50, both of Dartford Road, Dartford, Kent, and Carl Wood, 58, of Elderbeck Close, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, who face the same charge of conspiracy to burgle between April 1 and April 7, this year.

They are all also charged with conspiracy to conceal, disguise, convert or transfer criminal property, namely a quantity of jewellery and other items, between April 1 and May 19.

The raid over the Easter weekend saw thieves break into the vault at Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Company in London’s jewellery quarter.

Officers believe they got into the building, which houses a number of businesses, through a communal entrance before disabling the lift so they could climb down the shaft to the basement.

It is thought they then forced open shutter doors and used a drill to bore a hole 20 inches deep, 10 inches high and 18 inches into the vault wall.

Once inside, the thieves ransacked 73 safety deposit boxes, taking millions of pounds-worth of items.

As the men waited more than 15 minutes for the videolink to connect properly, Perkins asked the clerk: “Can you ask the judge and yourselves to come down to Belmarsh so we can have tea together?”

The nine men are due to next appear for a plea hearing on September 4.