Trail will show town's history as location for Victorian Britain's biggest banking fraud

The Shifnal Discovery Trail launches on July 20, and tells the tale of how the Shropshire town was the location for the historic theft by William Allen – a town bank manager.

A spokesman for the organisers said: "More than 150 years ago, Shifnal was the scene of Victorian Britain’s largest banking fraud.

"In 1855 The Shropshire Banking Company’s branch manager, William Allen, was found to have been stealing hundreds of thousands of pounds over the course of a decade.

"When police arrived to arrest him at the bank in Horse Fair – where Market Place today meets Park Street, Allen is said to have leapt over the bank counter and fled.

"Some £159,000 of bank funds were never recovered, which would be worth over £16million today."

The trail will see budding detectives asked to find a series of clues hidden around Shifnal, which when solved will reveal the code to unlock an overseas safe.

The trail is free and the event is being launched by Shropshire Festivals on behalf of Shifnal Town Council and Love Shifnal.

The July 20 launch day will include actors who will bring the history to life with their eyewitness testimonies, helping people solve the case.

The trail will continue over the summer without actors for people who cannot make the launch day.

Beth Heath, from Shropshire Festivals, said: “If you enjoy escape room style experiences, then you will love the Shifnal Discovery Trail.

"We’ve put together a fun trail which will call on your problem-solving and investigative skills.

"You will get to spend the day outdoors as a family or group of friends, solving clues together, finding out some fascinating history and discovering more of Shifnal.

“You can collect your free trail booklet from the Square and use the map to follow the trail around the town to solve the challenges.”

On July 20 people can collect the trail booklet from 10am onwards.

If it is finished by 4pm participants can collect their certificate of completion.

They can visit Shifnal History Group at The Old Fire Station to learn more and collect the certificate from 10am to 4pm.

Sally Themans from Love Shifnal, said: “This is a great opportunity to explore our wonderful town. The trail will take around one to two hours to complete, so why not make a day of it – stop in a local café for lunch and have a browse of our fabulous shops. Have fun enjoying all Shifnal has to offer!”

The Shifnal Discovery Trail will take place on Saturday, July 20, from 10am – 4pm, with actors included.

The trail will remain in place until the end of the summer holidays.

LoveShifnal.co.uk will list where the trail booklets will be located after July 20, which will include Woods the Cleaners and Presence Cards and Gifts.

People will also be able to download it from the website.