Gold has captured the imaginations of crime writers and film makers for years, but sometimes there are gold heists that you just can’t make up.

Thefts involving the world’s most precious metal always make headlines. Some aren’t even that daring, but it is the thought that something pirates, invaders, highway men and bandits used to risk their lives to steal, is still the ultimate loot. In newspaper reports there is always an underlying sense of admiration for the sheer brazenness of the robbers and some incredulity at what they may or may not have pulled off.

‘Hang on lads I’ve got a great idea,’ must feature in every gold robbery that ever took place. Do they all end in a van balanced in precarious positions? Not in this list, no. But some do end up in far worse situations, whilst others disappear into thin air. We look at our five top gold robberies of all time and enjoy the thrill of learning how some meticulously planned their heist, whilst others merely stumbled upon a pot of gold.

Read on to see the ultimate (and worst) gold heists