Barclays Bank computer heist: Two in court over £1.3m haul

(AFP)

Two men have appeared in court charged with taking over a bank's computer system to steal £1.3 million.

Darius Bolder, 34, and Tony Colston-Hayter, 47, did not enter pleas when they appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court accused of conspiracy to steal.

The prosecution alleges they accessed the computer system at the Barclays branch in Swiss Cottage, north-west London, and siphoned cash from customers' accounts.

Both men were remanded in custody until their appearance at Southwark Crown Court next month.

Bolder is also accused of conspiring to commit fraud by false representation, alongside two other defendants.

Lewis Murphy, 29, and Michael Harper, 26, are charged with credit card fraud linked to Selfridges.

They also entered no plea and were remanded in custody. A further four men arrested in connection with the theft have been released on bail.

A search of the branch unearthed a “keyboard video mouse” (KVM) switch attached to a 3G router connected to one of the computers, which would allow the suspects to transmit desktop content.

It is alleged one of the men installed the KVM while masquerading as an engineer, fixing the computers.

A spokesman for Barclays Bank said it had been able to recover a "significant amount" of money and added that no customers had suffered financial loss as a result of the theft.