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Tanky's top disguises |
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Hairs could prickle on the back of your neck as you walk along London Road in Leicester. You may feel as if eyes are following you. Guilty consciences should be well concealed, for above you are the 16 heads of Detective Inspector Tanky Smith!
While Tanky Smith did not have 16 heads, he did have 16 disguises. The heads carved in stone on Top Hat Terrace on London Road show the famous local detective as an array of bizarre, undercover characters, including a bishop, a Quaker, and two jockeys.
© EMOHA
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Tanky Smith had a legendary ability to infiltrate the street gangs and criminal fraternities of Leicester in the mid-1800s. Take a look at some more of his famous disguises.
The Wild West of England
According to police historian, Clifford Stanley, Victorian Leicester was a lawless, crime-ridden place, and "burglars, robberies and street brawls were frequent". In 1836, the Leicester Corporation decided to create the city's first police force to address the situation.
What's in a name?
There are two explanations for the nickname "Tanky". Some believe it is a corruption of the name "Frankie". A more playful theory is that the name comes from his practice of tapping or "tanking" disorderly people in the head with his cane! |
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Francis Smith (Tanky) and partner Tommy Haynes (Black Tommy) joined the new force in 1840 as the city's first detectives. The pair worked together, infiltrating criminal gangs and gleaning incriminating evidence that soon made them the city's most successful officers.
Top Hat Terrace on London Road owes its existence to Tanky's sleuthing skills. His most famous assignment was the Winstanley affair. In 1862, the disappearance of the county's High Sheriff, Mr Winstanley, made for a sensational mystery. Tanky was given the task of tracking down the young squire, a job which took him across the Channel and into Germany. As promised, he did not return empty handed, having located the drowned body of James Beaumont Winstanley.
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