This is a drama based on the real life activities of Donald Nielson played by Donald Sumpter. He was an ex soldier who had joined civvy street and his business had failed. So he started robbing Post Offices using a sawn off shotgun. He used his army survival training to hide out in woods and generally be a bit of a loon.His home life is depicted as him being a misogynistic martinet and all round nasty bloke – he was never going to win 'father of the year'. Then he accidentally shoots a sub Post Master on one of his 'jobs' and his crimes take on a more serious hue. This leads him to commit one of the most notorious crimes of the seventies. That was the kidnapping of Leslie Whittle a 16 year old heiress.Now this is quite well made, there is violence and some nudity (which seemed pointless) but it tries to stick to the facts for the most part. There are some great pieces of observational cinema from the time and I loved seeing how the World worked back when I was a lad. It is far from a 'feel good' film and those that remember the time will probably recall certain aspects of the case differently. But for me this was a well made and acted time piece of a film about one despicable man and his crimes.

We were all sick to our stomachs when this thing came out in 1977.The Leslie Whittle case had rolled across the news for months and months and most kids were afraid to go out at night.Kaye Alexander looked sick to her stomach every time she read the news.For some opportunistic cast, producer and director to capitalise on the crime and Whittle family misery to make a few quid was absolutely disgusting.It was centre stage in our local video shop for months and I don't think anyone hired it about from the local weirdos and paedos.Cheapskate media is always willing to have a laugh at our expense.Video nasty? Made all the porn films look tame. Hang your heads in shame.

Although I have tagged this as 'liked', I don't think that's quite the word. Impressive, believable and very grim this is a virtual reenactment of real events that I remember well and took place only a couple of years before the film was made. A little bit of stylish photography, a bit of humour, just something to relieve the dull horror and it would have been possible to enjoy the film more.What we have, though, is a unique cinematic impression of a real series of violent attacks and kidnap. The original newspaper reporting at the time presented a most unpleasant picture and here it is honestly and accurately represented on film. Everybody does well but the male lead is exceptional and the poor young girl victim almost too believable. You won't like it but as an example of gritty 70s UK cinema it is a great example.

A very close account of Army fanatic Donald Nielson. A man who wants the best for his family but tries robbing post offices and ends up killing due to poor planning. He then sets his sights higher and kidnapps a local wealthy man's daughter and then asks for a ransom which due to one reason or another he never receives. The daughter is found 3 months later in a sewage pipe hanged. I am not spoiling the plot, this is a very well known and brutal crime and the film documents this very well right up to his capture! This film is extremely hard to find and i had to send away to the states to get it.(it was made in the UK!)