The Fleet Street Sewer Rat - Hardcover

Watts, Mark

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1903906156 ISBN 13: 9781903906156

Publisher: Artnik, 2005

Synopsis

This is the inside story of "Fleet Street" written by an insider who sheds
light on its grubbiest corner. Tabloids and broadsheets alike may be fearless
in exposing the antics of the rich, the famous and the powerful, yet they
would rather this particular "stone" be left unturned. For underneath this
stone – in the pit of the gutter – lie some tawdry and questionable
activities.

The book’s central character is Benjamin Pell, better known as "Benji
the Binman". He made his fortune – and became infamous – by raiding the
rubbish of lawyers and other professional advisers to famous clients and then
selling documents he scavenged to the Press – and others. Mohamed Al Fayed and
Sir Richard Branson are among those who also received the "fruits" of his
labours. Sir Elton John, All Saints, Robbie Williams, Jonathan Aitken, Neil
Hamilton as well as, er, Mohammed Al Fayed and Sir Richard Branson, are among
the long list of famous people who fell victim to his nocturnal prowling. A
thief, a cheat and a liar Pell, who is possessed of a formidable intelligence,
lives on the edge of madness. A High Court judge described his method of
making a living as "despicable" and "contemptible".
The book exposes his activities and lifts the lid off cheque book journalism
in Britain at its very best, its very worst, and at its most hilarious.
Based on taped interviews with Benjamin Pell.
Foreword by John McVicar.

About this title

From the Publisher

The Fleet Street Sewer Rat is a remarkable true story about a bizarre, surreal character who in four years broke more major news stories than most reporters do in a lifetime. But Benji the Binman stole the documents that were behind the stories.

He said of one his arrests, when the police downplayed his offences:
‘Well that of course was the biggest scandal of all ’cos otherwise the whole of Fleet Street would have had to be in the dock with me, and I don’t think there’s enough room.’

Max Clifford: ‘Benjamin Pell is no ordinary person by any stretch of the imagination.’

John McVicar: ‘Meeting Pell for the first time is like going down to beach for a swim and being confronted with a tsunami – most people just want to get out the cross and the garlic, and head for the high ground.’

From the Author

EXCLUSIVE:
the muckraker who
got rich scavenging
celebrities’ binbags

About this edition

• Publisher: Artnik
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1903906156
• ISBN 13: 9781903906156
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 256