A Horley man has been jailed for 14 years for a £2 million armed robbery in which money bound for the Saudi Royal Family was grabbed at gunpoint.

Jonathan Haynes, 37, unemployed, of Haroldslea Drive, Horley, was sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court, London, for the hold-up last June.

Another Surrey man, Trevor Mair, 45, unemployed, of Brierley, New Addington, Croydon, was jailed for nine years.

The court heard that the armed robbery took place on June 24 last year, when two men approached an aide to the Saudi Royal Family as he left the Emirates bank in Basil Street, London SW3.

The aide was carrying £2 million in cash destined for the Royal Family's use.

Two members of staff at the bank were also escorting the money with two cases to their car, which was parked outside the bank, ready to help load the cases into their boot.

But the court heard a man, who had been watching close-by, then went over to the car boot and pulled out a handgun from inside his jacket pocket.

He pointed the gun at one of the men and demanded, “Give me the money or I'll blow your brains out.”

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “In a state of panic, the victims put the cases down.

“The suspect then picked up one of the suitcases from inside the boot, and then called out to an accomplice, who was waiting across the street, to grab the other.”

The robbers ran off while the victims called 999.

The spokesman said Sgt David Bourne and PC Mark Magee of the Brompton Safer Neighbourhoods team had just finished briefing at their nearby base in Pavilion Road when the robbery call came over the police radio.

The officers then spotted the suspects in Cadogan Square.

With armed officers from the Diplomatic Protection Group called in, both suspects were detained.

Sgt Dave Bourne of the Brompton Safer Neighbourhoods team, said: "Fortunately this type of gun crime is very rare on Kensington and Chelsea borough.”

He said: “I am delighted we were able to assist to help bring these dangerous individuals to justice."