THE first crown court criminal trial to sit without a jury in the UK for over 350 years has convicted a gang of raiding a Heathrow warehouse, but acquitted one member of storing weapons in Uxbridge.

All four men standing trial were accused of targeting a Menzies World Cargo warehouse in 2004, carrying out an armed robbery, looting foreign currency worth up to £1.75 million.

John Twomey and Glen Cameron, now of Hampshire, and Peter Blake and Barry Hibberd, of Notting Hill have all been found guilty of robbery and having a firearm with intent to commit robbery.

At the time of the offences, Twomey, now 62, was living in Westmead, South Ruislip, while Cameron, 50, was living in Northolt.

Hibberd, 43, was found not guilty of 13 charges on unrelated firearms offences in connection with a stash of weapons at a lock-up garage in Uxbridge.

The trial was the first to take place without a jury for over 350 years, because three previous trials had all collapsed, with allegations of jury tampering suggested.

Sixteen staff members at the warehouse, located on the Southern Perimeter Road, off Stanwell Moor Road, were tied up and threatened during the raid.

One man who had acted as an insider to the raid, admitted his part and gave evidence at the trial.

Twomey, Blake, Hibberd and Cameron were part of the gang that had gained access to Menzies World Cargo after being taken airside in a van by an employee, Darren Brockwell, who was acting as an 'inside agent'.

Having gained entry to airside at 11.10pm on 6 February 2004, six men, some armed with handguns, entered Menzies shed and stole 1.75m.

Although all those taking part in the robbery had been wearing rubber masks and woolly hats to disguise themselves, Twomey was later identified. He was clearly directing the gang's operations.

Sixteen employees were tied up with plastic handcuffs. Two employees were pistol-whipped, and one was kicked in the chest.

Whilst they were being tied up, one of the victims attempted to run from the premises, Blake chased after him and shot at him from close range. Luckily the shot missed and a fight between Blake and the man started, during which the gun was discharged twice more.

At one stage the victim was able to get hold of the gun and attempted to shoot at Blake, but the gun failed and others joined Blake to overpower him. Blake was later identified using forensic tests on a piece of pink latex foam from the mask and the black woollen hat he was wearing. His victim had managed to pull these off during their fight and the victim's DNA was also found on the piece of latex.

The men had been staying at the Days Inn Hotel at Heathrow in the days prior to the armed raid.

The gang had been being watched by officers from the Flying Squad in the months leading up to the raid.

Officers had seen who they made contact with, followed them to various locations, managed to photograph and record them - on tape - plotting how they would break into the warehouse and steal a substantial sum of money.

Whilst the officers were aware that a robbery was being planned, they were unclear exactly when it would be, and who would form part of the gang.

Detective Superintendent Stuart Cundy, head of the MPS Flying Squad, said: "These are dangerous individuals who organised a complex armed robbery, to steal a substantial amount of money and expected to get away with it. They were prepared to not only carry guns, but to use them to ensure their plan succeeded.

"Despite the allegations made against police by these professional criminals, the evidence against these men was thoroughly tested in court and speaks for itself. The protracted and determined investigation by the MPS Flying Squad built the case against those responsible and took these violent men off the streets.

"I pay tribute to the victims of this violent robbery who provided evidence in this case. I have no doubt that these men would have continued to pose a risk to the public if they had not been caught."