Hungarian extra suspected in BBC "Robin Hood" theft

Thieves have stolen the only master tapes of the BBC's new "Robin Hood" series from a studio in Fót, north of Budapest. England's Daily Mirror reported that the thieves, possibly an international criminal gang, are demanding Ł1 million in ransom. It is suspected that a Hungarian extra stole the tapes from an editing room on August 6 or 7.

The series was filmed using high-definition TV technology. All of the tapes for the 13 episodes, due to be broadcast from September, are missing.

László Gárdonyi, CEO of studio owner Mafilm Szcenika, said he had been unofficially informed that the thief climbed up on the fire escape. The building was guarded by the Hungarian production firm MidAtlantic, while Szcenika guards were only the gatekeepers.

Pest county police said they found no evidence of forced entry into the studio. They surmise that the thieves had inside contacts, and that the whole affair may extend beyond Hungary's borders.

The BBC and production company Tiger Aspect have reportedly offered a Ft 15 million reward to anyone who can provide clues to the thieves' identity.

The above story is just one of more than two dozen published today by Hungary Around the Clock, the most comprehensive source of daily English-language news about Hungary. For a free trial of HATC, click here. Hungarian news sources include Népszabadság; Magyar Hírlap; Világgazdaság; Napi Gazdaság; Magyar Nemzet; Népszava; Kossuth Rádió news and Hungarian television's nightly news broadcast.

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