Four jailed after robbery attempt

Four men have been jailed for their part in an attempted raid on a van dropping off cash to a Cumbrian bank.

The four, all from Merseyside, were cornered by armed police outside the HSBC Bank in the Kingstown area of Carlisle on 30 October last year.

Leroy Johnson, 30, Ian McDermott, 24, Graham Backhouse, 25 and Robert Whittle, 34, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob on Monday.

Carlisle Crown Court heard the van contained between £20,000 and £40,000.

Rare crime

Johnson, from Wellington Avenue, Liverpool was jailed for seven years.

McDermott, from Willow Grove, Wavertree, Liverpool was jailed for five years.

Backhouse, from Willow Grove, Wavertree, was sentenced to three years and Whittle, from Pollard Rd in Liverpool was jailed for seven years.

No-one was injured in the attempted robbery.

Det Ch Insp Paul Smith said: "This type of crime is extremely rare in Cumbria and as a result when such offences do occur they are investigated in a vigorous and comprehensive fashion.

"For that reason these defendants were left with little option but to plead guilty to the offences.

"This sends a clear message to criminals intent on travelling to Cumbria to commit offences that they will not be tolerated."