Man charged after ‘£1m went missing from G4S van’ in south-west London

A man has been charged after £1 million allegedly went missing from a G4S van found abandoned in south-west London.

Joel March, 36, from Clapham, was charged with one count of theft from an employer after being arrested on Wednesday afternoon, the Met Police said.

He is due to appear at Camberwell Green magistrates’ court today.

A thief allegedly fled with 40 deposit boxes from the cash-in-transit van on Larkhall Rise in Clapham on Tuesday morning, The Sun reported.

Residents said the blue armoured van, emblazoned with G4S logos, had been sitting on double yellow lines for more than eight hours before the firm were alerted.

A neighbour told the Standard: “I saw the van parked up in the afternoon. I assumed the driver was inside but I didn’t see him. It didn’t strike me as odd at the time... I’m kicking myself for not checking further.”

Another said he phoned G4S after the van, which he first saw at 9am, had been on the road for eight hours. He said he spotted notes on the passenger seat which said “mum” and “dad”, as well as a driver’s identification.

The Met’s Flying Squad said a quantity of cash was later recovered.

G4S, a major government contractor, said there had been no “material” financial impact from the incident.

A spokeswoman said: "These incidents are extremely rare in our UK Cash business and we are working closely with the Metropolitan Police to resolve the matter. The financial impact is not material."