The richest Milkman in the West

The operation, said an investigator, was "without parallel" in British history.

Operation Extend spent two years working on the Wright gang, during which time they bugged his Chelsea flat, followed him to meetings, and monitored his son, Brian, who - along with 14 other members of the gang - would later be jailed for his part in Wright's activities.

In February 1999, Operation Extend had everything it needed. But, just as it was about to pounce, Wright fled the country. And, as members of his gang were rounded up in the United States, Britain and the Caribbean, The Milkman began life as an exile in Northern Cyprus, which has no extradition treaty with the UK. Indeed, until a BBC Panorama team tracked him down in 2002, no one was sure where Wright had disappeared to. Even after the BBC had uncovered his whereabouts, there was nothing the British police could do about it, and Wright continued to live a life of luxury in the Turkish half of the island. In 2005, however, either because he believed the authorities had struck a deal with Britain, or because he was bored, he moved to Spain. And Spain, as he knew, did have an extradition agreement with the UK - and Wright was soon arrested.

It was the end of an adventure for Wright, who was born in Ireland, one of nine children, and moved to north London at the age of 12.

As a child, he was not interested in school, deciding instead to work on the market near his home, and, when he was old enough, to become a croupier. His interest in horse racing was fostered in his teens, and he earned his first fast bucks by taking bets from workers on building sites. Little by little, Wright transformed himself from a small-time bookie into a big-time gambler. He boasted that on one day in 1973, he made [pound]50,000 from betting. One jockey, who knew him in that period, says he always carried a roll of notes "that would choke a donkey".

Fifty pound notes will now have no value for Wright - cigarettes and phone cards are much more use to him inside. But, as Wright's prison term starts, he can take some cold comfort from the news that Hollywood executives are said to be enthralled by the lawless rollercoaster of his life, and are currently considering bids to option his story. Who knows, in two years' time, Wright could be watching a film of his life on the high-security wing television - if he can persuade his fellow inmates to let him choose the channel.

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