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Francis ‘Tanky’ Smith was Leicester’s first private detective.

Victorian Leicester was a lawless place riddled with crime, and after being a member of Leicester’s Borough Police Force between 1840 and 1864, and rising to the rank of Detective Inspector, Smith became a private detective.

Using £1,000 he received for solving a case ‘Tanky’ bought a plot of land on London Road, now known as ‘Top Hat Terrace’. The four houses were adorned with carvings of the detective in various disguises he’d used to infiltrate local gangs in solving crime.

Ben Jackson visited ‘Top Hat Terrace’ with Heritage Officer at Leicester Museums Gurinder Mann.

Produced by Pete Wardman.

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