Erin’s leader of the gang as she swaps Royalty for robbery

SHE’S known for playing strong women, but Erin Doherty is filming her toughest role yet – as leader of a notorious female gang of thieves in Victorian London.

The actress, who made her name as Princess Anne in The Crown, is to star as Mary Carr, who led the Forty Elephants – which terrorised the West End in the 1880s and early 1900s – in the 12-part Disney drama A Thousand Blows.

Ms Doherty is seen for the first time in the role along with Peaky Blinders actor Stephen Graham, 49, who portrays boxer Sugar Goodson.

In scenes filmed in London last week, Ms Doherty, 30 – dressed in a red jacket and floor-length patterned skirt – hugs Graham, whose face is covered in cuts and bruises. He is also seen tenderly touching her face, suggesting that their characters have a close relationship.

Carr was a notorious thief by the age of 14, when she already had several convictions. She later set up the Forty Elephants and became their first queen due to her expertise in selling stolen property and pulling off heists.

Police reported the theft of thousands of pounds of clothes and jewels in a single raid. It wasn’t until the 1950s, after Carr’s death, that the gang was caught. But it left its mark as one of the most ruthless female criminal groups of all time.