IT COULD have come straight from a Hollywood script, a sequel to that other fishy tale Finding Nemo.

But it started as a rather mundane job, transporting a cargo of 50 Madagascan Cichlid fish from Bolton's aquarium to Zurich Zoo. Bolton Aquarium is the first to breed the fish in captivity and they were being flown out for an exhibition and for breeding.

The twist came when the fish arrived at Heathrow Airport and they were caught up in a daring heist involving men with guns, knives, hockey sticks and clubs.

As police and security guards swooped on a gang apparently intent on stealing £40 million in gold bullion and £60 million in foreign currency, the fish were left swimming around in large cases, waiting to be placed on the next flight out to Zurich.

They were neglected as the drama at the airport began to unfold. Police were eager to arrest the gang, who had earlier reversed their van into shutters at the Swissport cargo warehouse, prompting armed officers to shoot its tyres.

And had the gang got away with their crime, it would have gone down as the most profitable in British history - beating the Brinks-Mat bullion raid at Heathrow in 1983.

An aquarium boss, who went to Heathrow by road with the fish, became worried about their health in the delay. He pleaded with police and security staff to allow them on the next flight and following a lengthy argument, the fish were allowed to go on their way.

They are now starring in Zurich Zoo's Masoala Rainforest exhibition.

Keith Davies, Bolton Council's Deputy Director of Education and Culture, said: "It took some explanation to get the fish past the crime scene to where they needed to be. As soon as the staff realised that there were live animals involved they very quickly made the appropriate arrangements."

Bolton Aquarium is frequently contacted to provide healthy stock for other organisations.

The Madagascan Cichlid fish - called Ptychochromis grandidieri, the Saroy or Grandidier's Cichlid - are from the eastern coast of Madagascar and were all bred in Bolton.

They are just one part of Bolton's successful programme helping to preserve threatened species.

The aquarium has also transported Mexican Livebearers to Sparsholt College in Hampshire, the UK's most highly regarded place of learning for aquatic-related matters.

They were originally brought to Bolton from Mexico by the late Derek Lambert, former editor of Today's Fishkeeper magazine. At Sparsholt they will be used as a valuable study guide for the students to learn how to manage threatened species, and also a the breeding programme.

A species of tetra called Alestes longipinnis, or the African Featherfin Tetra is going to the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth.

The Aquarium now has much needed space to continue its breeding programme for exotic and endangered fish from around the world, continuing its great work in preservation.