ONE of the most infamous robberies in British history is examined in a major new exhibition coming to the region.

The Great Train Robbery in August, 1963, saw the theft of £2.6m from a travelling Post Office on the way to London from Glasgow.

Now, more than 50 years on, an exhibition of archival information related the heist is to go on display at Rural Arts in Thirsk.

Travelling back to 1963, the exhibition explores how the robbery took place, and the subsequent investigations that followed.

There is a particular focus on the role the Post Office Investigation Department played in helping the police uncover the events of the robbery.

The exhibition was prepared and provided by the British Postal Museum and Archive, and forms part of #RuralRefresh season at Rural Arts, putting fresh spins on old things.

It follows on from their Archives exhibition, where maps containing the railway lines of Thirsk and the surrounding area from over 100 years ago were on display.

“With Thirsk being almost exactly half-way between London and Glasgow, and with Rural Arts being situated in a former Courthouse and Magistrates House, the exhibition seemed such a perfect fit, said Rural Arts director Angela Hall.

The Great Train Robbery Exhibition runs at Rural Arts, The Courthouse, Thirsk, from November 15 to 22, 10am to 4.30pm.