Bloodstained in the Black Museum

Photo of lead pipe the bag body Was put in 50 years ago

- ANDY LINES

A GRISLY photo of the murder weapon used by Lord Lucan is revealed for the first time.

It shows lead piping on the bloodstained bag that Sandra Rivett was placed in after being battered to death 50 years ago.

Crime programme producer Sandy Kaye, who took the photo at Scotland Yard in 1983, recalled her disbelief that she was looking at the weapon Lord Lucan had used to murder the nanny.

Sandy, who was given the glimpse at the police HQ's crime museum, called the Black Museum at the time, was allowed to take one photo of the historic items she was being shown.

Now 41 years on that photo is published here. It is the first time the public has seen the murder weapon.

It shows the lead piping used to bludgeon to death nanny Sandra in 1974.

The weapon in two pieces - is on the bloodstained mailbag her body was hidden in after the killing TV producer Sandy said: "I've kept this photo safe for 41 years - but now it's time for the world to see it. It's such an important part of British crime history" On Thursday, it will be 50 years since nanny Sandra, 29, was killed at the Lucan family home in Belgravia, London, before Lord Lucan disappeared.

The BBC is running three documentaries this week examining whether Lucan, who would now be 89, managed to escape the UK and get to Australia with the help of his rich friends.

In 1974, police believed he had been planning to murder his wife and killed the nanny by mistake.