'Great Train Robber' Ronnie Biggs dies aged 84

Ronnie Biggs, one of Britain's most notorious criminals known for his role in the Great Train Robbery of 1963, died on Wednesday at the age of 84, his spokeswoman said.

Biggs gained notoriety 50 years ago as one of an 11-member gang that tampered with railway signals and stopped a Royal Mail night train, making off with 2.6 million pounds ($4.2 million), equivalent to about 40 million pounds in today's money.

Biggs was caught after the robbery and received a 30-year jail sentence but escaped from prison and spent 36 years on the run, leading a playboy lifestyle in South America. He finally surrendered to British police in 2001 but was freed in 2009 on health grounds.