Knife raiders jailed for £100,000 lorry hijack

But unknown to the raiders, the lorry was fitted with a tracking device which revealed where it was unloaded before it was later abandoned and set on fire.

Leeds Crown Court heard yesterday the device led police to a rented unit in Lower Mersey View, Liverpool, where some of the stolen goods were found.

Alan Barr, 28 of Changford Green, Liverpool was jailed for seven years and Anthony Taggart, 51, of Silvester Street, Liverpool, for two-and-a-half years after each admitted conspiracy to rob in 2006.

Sentencing them Judge Kerry Macgill said they were part of "a very successful and professional group of criminals."

Taggart had rented the unit where the stolen property was taken, while Barr accepted he was with others looking for a likely target in North Yorkshire and drove their car back when others took the lorry.

Andrew Hatton, prosecuting, told the court a lorry driver from Northamptonshire was another victim, attacked and overpowered as he slept in his cab in a layby between Stoke-on-Trent and Uttoxeter.

Men wearing balaclavas with Liverpool accents took his 80,000 lorry carrying a load of TVs before dumping him in a field.

It was 11 days later on October 30, 2006, that trucker Guy Hales had stopped for the night at the Londonderry lorry park on the A1 near Northallerton when he was woken by men wearing balaclavas who overpowered him. He was told he would not be hurt, the raiders adding: "We don't want you, just your load."

A towel was put over his head and the vehicle was driven across country. A knife was held to his throat while his load of phones and dishwashers was taken.

After being driven off he was later freed, but the lorry was set on fire.