Siege of Sidney Street

Churchill at the siege
Winston Churchill (highlighted) at Sidney Street, 3 January 1911
Soldiers from the Scots Guards open fire at the house on Sidney Street

The Siege of Sidney Street, or the "Battle of Stepney", was a notorious gunfight in London's East End on 3 January 1911.

It happened after a jewellery robbery went bad two weeks before. Three policemen had been killed, and others wounded, and one of the gang was also killed. This event is known as the Houndsditch murders.

The gang were said to be international anarchists led by Peter Piatkow, a.k.a. "Peter the Painter". It is still not clear who their leader actually was.

The end took place at a house in Sidney Street, where word came that a gang of foreigners had moved in. In the fire that ended the siege, one fireman and two robbers died. The fates of other members of the gang, and its leader, are not known.


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