£50,000 Leintwardine bank raid bandits are jailed

Peter Oates, 26, and Stephen Sweeney, 24, both from Liverpool, were involved in the raid on Leintwardine's HSBC branch in 2010 which saw a several masked men storm into the building as security guards arrived to deliver money.

They made off with three cash boxes containing £50,000 which were later recovered empty.

For their part in the robbery Oates was jailed for six years and eight months and Sweeney for two years and eight months at Hereford Crown Court on Tuesday.

A third man, Joseph Vincent Garrigos, 24, of Liverpool, was also due to be sentenced for the offence, but he failed to appear at court and a warrant for his arrest has been ordered.

During the robbery on September 3, 2010, two security guards arrived to deliver money to replenish the HSBC cashpoint in Leintwardine.

As they entered the bank, a number of masked men followed them and forced the doors open before the guards could secure them.

One of the guards was struck over the helmet with a stone slab knocking him to the floor although he was not seriously injured. Threats were made by one of the offenders about shooting the guards, although a gun was not produced.

The raiders forced the guards to open the ATM and stole three cash boxes which were later recovered in Whitty Tree, between Craven Arms and Ludlow.

The getaway car was later stopped in Liverpool and Sweeney, Garrigos and Oates were all arrested.

Detective Inspector Carl Moore, of West Mercia Police's serious and organised crime unit, said: "Oates, Sweeney and Garrigos were all arrested within 24 hours of the robbery taking place, but it has taken two years –almost to the day – for our investigation to be concluded.

"This has been a long and drawn out investigation, not least because Oates went on the run for more than eight months and I am glad that the judge has reflected this in his sentence."

He said they would now be working with Merseyside Police to arrest Garrigos.

By Peter Finch