Forty Elephants

The Forty Elephants or Forty Thieves were a 19th-century all-female London crime syndicate who specialised in shoplifting. This gang was notable for its longevity and skill in avoiding police detection.

The Forty Thieves gang operated from the Elephant and Castle district. They were allied to the Elephant and Castle Mob, led by the McDonald brothers. They raided quality stores in the West End of London and ranged all over the country. The gang was also known to masquerade as housemaids for wealthy families before ransacking their homes, often using false references. They were in existence from at least 1873 to the 1950s with some indications that they may have been in existence since the late 18th century. During the early 20th century the gang was led by Alice Diamond, known variously as the Queen of the Forty Thieves and as Diamond Annie and as a friend of Maggie Hill, sister to gangster Billy Hill.

South London historian Brian McDonald who first revealed the activities of the gang in his book Gangs of London has now written a full-length history in Alice Diamond and the Forty Elephants.