Are there Hells Angels gangs in the UK?
Since their inception in 1969, the British Hells Angels have painted themselves as lovable rogues – but their rap sheet tells a darker story.
Image: Sarnia / Shutterstock.com
Secrets of The Hells Angels goes deep into the world of the secretive and notorious biker club revealing a much more violent and devious group than anyone realised. The show airs Tuesdays at 10pm on Sky HISTORY.
The Hells Angels is the biggest biker gang in the world and has always been primarily associated with the USA. Indeed, when we think of highway crime in the UK, we’re probably more likely to call to mind figures like Dick Turpin from yesteryear.
But despite its all-American image, the Hells Angels now have a reported global membership of more than 6,000 bikers in almost 60 countries – including the UK. Read on to find out more about the origins of one of the most dangerous crime gangs in Britain, as well as their attempts to cultivate a pristine public image and the frequent media controversies and court cases which undermine them.
A brush with The Beatles
As unlikely as it sounds, the first time the Hells Angels set foot on British soil was at the request of pop sensations The Beatles. The Fab Four have rubbed shoulders with a wide variety of famous faces, including Queen Elizabeth II, but the rough-and-ready biker gang are perhaps one of their more surprising acquaintances.
The Beatle responsible is even more of an eyebrow-raiser. John Lennon might be traditionally thought of as the more hedonistic and headstrong of the lineup, but it was actually George Harrison – often known as the quietest and most retiring of the group – who extended the invitation.
However, when a gaggle of bikers eventually turned up at Apple Corps studios, the roles were quickly reversed back to normal. At a Christmas party, Lennon very nearly suffered a punch in the face from an aggrieved Angel, while Harrison failed to even put in an appearance.
This now infamous visit occurred in 1968, but the first British chapters of the gang followed hot on its heels the next year. An East London chapter and a South London chapter sprang up in 1969 and, over the next few decades, plenty more followed. By 1995, it was believed that at least 12 chapters consisting of 250 members were in existence. Today, those figures are likely to have swelled significantly.
At the very least, the Angels are known to have factions in Ashfield, Essex, Kent, Lea Valley, London, Manchester, Northampton, Southampton, Tyne and Wear, Wales, Wessex, Windsor and Wolverhampton, as well as a so-called 'Nomad Chapter’ which covers the length and breadth of the UK.
PR responsible for rapid growth
One of the principal reasons that the Hells Angels have spread so quickly throughout Britain is their uncharacteristically benign public image in the country. According to one of the lead officers of the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) tasked with monitoring biker crime in the 1990s, the group were viewed as largely harmless.
This is at stark odds with how the Angels are perceived in almost all other countries where they are present. In turn, they have been at pains to encourage this British image of themselves as lovable rogues and nothing more threatening. Indeed, the then-president of the London chapter, Alan ‘Snob’ Fisher, even took part in the Queen’s 2002 jubilee parade, raising money for a children’s charity in the process.
Meanwhile, the most notable Hells Angel in the UK was surely Ian ‘Maz’ Harris, up until his death in 2000. A frequent spokesperson for the group, Harris held the rare distinction of being an Angel with a PhD. His dissertation at Warwick University was entitled Myth and Reality in the Motorcycle Subculture.
But despite these carefully cultivated attempts at portraying a family-friendly image to the public, there is undoubtedly a darker side to the gang. Quite aside from their penchant for hedonistic partying and vehicle-based noise pollution, the Angels have been implicated in all kinds of court cases, from rape and murder to theft and drug trafficking. As such, they’re widely regarded as one of the most dangerous criminal groups in the UK.
A lengthy list of misdemeanours
While it would be impossible to fit all of the various scandals, controversies and allegations levelled at the Angels into a single article of this size, here’s a very brief rundown of some of their more notorious exploits:
- In 1972, just three years after the first British chapter was founded, three Hells Angels members were sentenced for their role in the rape of a 14-year-old girl in Winchester.
- In 1984, Hells Angels member David Richardson and his girlfriend were found guilty of murdering a 16-year-old boy. After serving 21 years in prison, Richardson then absconded and lived freely for nine years, before being re-arrested and incarcerated once more.
- In 1988, former Hells Angels member Leonard Tedham was sentenced to life in prison for the sexual assault and murder of a sex worker named Rita Parminter.
- The police have long suspected the group of having heavy involvement in drug and arms trafficking. Over the years, the Angels have been implicated in a variety of cocaine, marijuana and weapons smuggling scandals.
- Over the decades, the Angels have engaged in violent rivalries with a number of other notorious biker gangs, including the Luton Town MIGS, the Outlaws, Satan’s Slaves and the Vikings.
Of course, the Angels have always blamed these controversies on the actions of individuals, claiming that while they may have a few bad apples among their ranks, they’re largely a peaceful organisation. Indeed, ‘When we do right, nobody remembers… when we do wrong, nobody forgets’ is one of their more effective slogans.
