Biggs heading for home

A media scrum gathered for Biggs' departure

Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs has taken off from Rio de Janeiro airport for his final flight home.

The private jet is expected to land in England at around 1100BST on Bank Holiday Monday, but it is not yet clear at which airport.

Biggs, sporting a cowboy hat, had earlier arrived at the airport in Rio in a van emblazoned with The Sun newspaper's logo.

But the van was surrounded by dozens of journalists and photographers from rival organisations, making it impossible for the frail 71-year-old to make the short journey to an awaiting private jet.

The haul was worth the equivalent of £50m today

The BBC's correspondent in Rio, David Willis, said the van drove off but Biggs later entered the airport through a side entrance before 2000BST.

Before his final departure at 2115BST, Biggs was expected to sign a statement saying he was returning to the UK of his own free will.

His lawyer, Wellington Mousinho, said his client had signed a lucrative contract to sell the rights to The Sun newspaper and a British cable and satellite TV network.

The British Foreign Office had made it possible for the fugitive to leave Brazil by issuing an emergency passport on Saturday, ending more than 35 years on the run.

'Extraordinary scenes'

Mr Willis said there were "extraordinary scenes" as hordes of media clamoured to get pictures of Biggs' arrival at Rio airport.

There have been no photographs of Biggs, frail after a series of strokes in recent years, since it was announced he was to fly home.

I am prepared to hand myself over to the authorities when I land in the UK.

Ronnie Biggs

Biggs is hoping for leniency and compassion from the authorities but Scotland Yard have confirmed he will be arrested on his return and taken into custody.

News of his likely return came after Biggs sent an e-mail to the head of the Flying Squad, Detective Chief Superintendent John Coles.

Shadow home secretary Ann Widdecombe has called for a "hard-headed" attitude towards him, saying he should spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Massive haul

His fellow train robber Bruce Reynolds is understood to have been flown to Rio by The Sun and will accompany Biggs back to the UK.

Reynolds recruited Biggs to the gang that escaped with a then record £2.6m haul - approximately £50m at 2001 prices - after holding up a Glasgow to London night train in 1963.

He has enjoyed the high life in Brazil

He escaped from London's Wandsworth prison in 1965 after serving 15 months of a 30-year sentence for his part in the robbery.

He arrived in Brazil in 1966 on a false passport having travelled via France, Australia and Panama.

By the time he was tracked down by Scotland Yard his girlfriend, Raimunda, was pregnant and Brazilian law protects the father of a Brazilian child from extradition.

Biggs has recently suffering his third stroke and friends say he has lost the power of speech.

It has been suggested he wants to return to his home country for free medical care.