According to a report in The Telegraph published on 31 August, 2012, police now believe that the notorious 19th century murderer Jack the Ripper, might well have worked for Pickfords in Broad Street.

It appears that the first victim, Polly Nichols, was discovered by a Mr. Charles Cross, a cart man who was walking to work at Pickfords at 3.00 AM on August 31 1888.  Cross was discovered crouching over the body but did not come under particular investigation at the time.  It is believed that he could have been the murderer disturbed in the act of mutilating the body.

Cross lived in Doveton Street in Bethnal Green and all the subsequent murders too place between there and the Pickfords depot.  Cross also gave police a false name: his real name was Charles Latchmere.  Latchmere/Cross lived until 1920; his wife survived him and died in 1940.