British expat, 50, living in Spain is questioned by police over the murder of notorious crime boss John 'Goldfinger' Palmer 

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A man was today questioned on suspicion of the murder of John 'Goldfinger' Palmer (pictured)

A 50-year-old man living in Spain was today questioned on suspicion of the murder of notorious criminal John 'Goldfinger' Palmer.

The gangland boss was shot dead at his secluded home in what is believed to be a 'professional hit'.

Police initially believed he died of natural causes because of recent keyhole surgery to his chest.

But a murder investigation was launched when it was discovered he was shot six times in the garden of his £800,000 mansion in Brentwood, Essex, on June 24, 2015.

An inquest into 65-year-old's death concluded he was unlawfully killed.

Police said today they had questioned a man who is originally from Tyneside but currently living in southern Spain.

The interview took place this morning. The man was questioned on suspicion of murder, but has not been arrested.

A spokesman for Essex Police said he volunteered to be interviewed at a police station in the UK, but would not confirm where.

He said: 'A 50-year-old man has today, Saturday, February 4, been questioned on suspicion of the murder of John Palmer in Brentwood in June 2015.

'The man is originally from Tyneside but is currently living in southern Spain. He was interviewed at a police station in the UK.

'Enquiries in to Mr Palmer's murder are on going and detectives are continuing to appeal for anyone with information to contact the Brentwood Major Investigation Team.'

Palmer, who once described as Britain's richest criminal and thought to have been worth £300m, got his nickname after he was arrested on suspicion of melting down gold from the Brink's-Mat robbery at Heathrow Airport in 1983.

An inquest into 65-year-old gangster's death concluded he was unlawfully killed. Pictured: Palmer at Heathrow Airport surrounded by officers

Although he was never convicted, the robbery of £25m worth of gold was stolen was the biggest robbery to have ever taken place in the UK at the time. 

Following his murder, Essex and Kent police serious crime directorate launched a 'wide-ranging' murder investigation after admitting 'failures' in their initial probe.

The force has since referred itself to watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) over delays in recording the suspicious nature of the death.

The failures included not identifying the bullet holes in his body, failing to look into Mr Palmer's criminal past and not properly searching his body after his death, the court heard.

The inquest, at Essex Coroner's Court, was told his death was initially linked to gall bladder surgery he had the previous week.

John 'Goldfinger' Palmer

However, when suspicions were raised about the nature of his death on June 29 and a post mortem was carried out the following day at Basildon Hospital, Essex.

Consultant pathologist Benjamin Swift ruled that Mr Palmer died from gunshot wounds to the chest.

The court was told due to Mr Palmer's 'lifestyle of criminality' it meant it was hard to pin down a motive for the murder.

DCI Stephen Jennings, who led the investigation, said there were several potential lines of inquiry as several people 'would have a legitimate motive of wanting to cause him harm'.

This included people affected by the £26m Brink's-Mat bullion raid at Heathrow Airport in 1983.

Mr Palmer, who got his nickname after allegedly smelting gold in the robbery, was never convicted of this crime.

But DCI Jennings said a 'number of people involved in this robbery has since died'.

Police were also looking into a time share fraud scam in 2001 which defrauded more than 16,000 victims of around £33 million, the court heard.

Mr Palmer was jailed for this for eight years at the Old Bailey.

At the time of his death Mr Palmer was also due to stand trial in mainland Spain for property fraud in Tenerfie and Spain.

In December at the inquest the court was told these cases were still on going.

Mr Palmer also had links to several members of the Hatton Garden heist where £14m of jewels were stolen in 2015.

PICTURED JUST MINUTES BEFORE HE WAS EXECUTED: 'GOLDFINGER' POTTERING AROUND HIS GARDEN

CCTV still from the last footage of John 'Goldfinger' Palmer before he was blasted six times in the chest with a silenced 8mm handgun

Pottering around in the garden of his country mansion, this CCTV footage captures supergrass John 'Goldfinger' Palmer just minutes before he was executed by a hitman.

Police believe the notorious criminal may have been professionally murdered because he knew too much about the Hatton Garden heist.

Palmer, believed to have turned informant, was gunned down in the only part of his sprawling Essex estate not covered by CCTV, just two months after the £14million raid. 

The gangster, rumoured to be a supergrass, died after being shot with an 8mm pistol, which probably had a silencer fitted, the court heard.

He found 'unresponsive' by members of his family in the garden at around 5.30pm at the house South Weald, Essex, on June 24, 2015.

After his death, it was revealed Palmer had been under surveillance since 2007, due to his links with the criminal underworld.

Earlier this year a £50,000 reward was offered to help catch Palmer's killer.

Inquiries in to Mr Palmer's murder are on going and detectives are continuing to appeal for anyone with information to contact the Brentwood Major Investigation Team on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.