Armed robbers who hid in school jailed

Schoolchildren and teachers had to be barricaded in their classrooms at The Vale First and Middle School in Findon Valley, near Worthing, West Sussex, on March 22.

Dominic Mendy and Danny Palmer, both 31, had earlier targeted the crew of a Group 4 Securicor van delivering cash to a Tesco store in Chichester, leading to a 21-mile police pursuit involving ground units and the police helicopter.

The men, both of no fixed address, were sentenced at Chichester Crown Court after having each pleaded guilty to robbery and possessing a prohibited weapon at a previous hearing.

They were both given indeterminate sentences, with Mendy ordered to serve a minimum of four years and Palmer a minimum of a five-and-a-half years.

The court heard the two 9mm handguns they used to threaten the van's two crew members were later found to have been decommissioned. The men were pushed to the ground during the robbery but no shots were fired and nobody was injured.

The robbers then fled using a number of getaway vehicles but were pursued by police with the help of ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) and the force's helicopter.

After being spotted entering the school's grounds, a pupil then saw them trying to hide in a roof space in the toilets and alerted staff. The pair were then arrested by armed officers as they tried to leave the premises.

A holdall with most of the cash was found in the school foyer, together with the men's outer clothing, while the remaining 240 was found on Mendy.

Judge Charles Byers commended the two security officers for their actions and the pupil who disturbed the robbers was awarded 500 for his quick-thinking.