Great train robber Ronnie Biggs has been issued with an emergency passport allowing him to make a single journey back to the UK, the Foreign Office said today.
Foreign Secretary Robin Cook personally intervened to check there would be no delays in issuing the documentation which will allow Biggs, 71, to return to Britain from Brazil to face justice.
A private plane sent by The Sun newspaper arrived in Rio this morning with the aim of picking him up and returning him to Britain.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "I can confirm Ronnie Biggs has been issued with an emergency passport.
"I can also confirm that The Sun called the Foreign Office to see if there was going to be a delay and the Foreign Secretary asked officials to call our Consul General in Rio to see whether a delay was likely.
"Clearly if someone is wanted for questioning here and wants to come back and hand themselves in we would want to ensure there was no delay, and in the event there was no delay in issuing the emergency passport."
PA