1964 Humber Super Snipe used in Great Train drama

Geoff Roberts watched his 1964 Humber Super Snipe speed away from a farm where actors had recreated the divvying up of spoils from the £2.6 million heist after agreeing to loan the luxury saloon for the show screened on Wednesday night.

And he revealed that the actors had almost turned thieves themselves after experiencing the car - the premium steer of its day - during filming earlier this year.

The 60-year-old, of Wellgate, said: “I watched as the actors burst out of the farm house, threw postbags in the boots of their five getaway cars and sped off down the drive.

“The director asked the cars’ owners to walk down the drive and make sure the actors could find reverse and bring them back.

“When we got down there, there were only four cars. It seems they liked mine so much they’d taken it for a spin.”

Geoff was relieved when his car was returned after a short time and was keen to see the results of the filming on Wednesday night, when The Great Train Robbery: A Robber’s Tale was aired.

The screening came just hours after news that one of the most notorious members of the 15-strong gang of robbers - Ronnie Biggs - had died at the age of 84.

The two-part drama depicted the famous robbery of a Royal Mail train heading from Glasgow to London in August 1963 from the perspective of both the thieves and the police.

Former mechanic Geoff bought his treasured three-litre, six-cylinder Humber - near-identical to one owned by his dad in the ‘60s around eight years ago and has spent time and money renovating it since.

He said: “I love driving it. Every time I drop into the driver’s seat it’s like getting into a favourite armchair.

“It was originally 128 horsepower but I think about 50 of those might have run off since it was built. I don’t think it would make a great getaway car now...”