THE manager of the Tonbridge Securitas depot feared he and his staff would be locked in a vault by the armed gang who escaped with £53 million.

Colin Dixon told the Old Bailey today how a gang member had quizzed him on the best place to lock staff when they made their getaway.

Mr Dixon said he referred to the man in his mind as “copper tip” because he was the same man who had been pointing a copper-tipped gun at his head as he quizzed him earlier in the evening at another location after Mr Dixon was snatched.

Mr Dixon suggested the depot staff room and hoped the gang would use this as it had “comfy chairs, more room, a TV and his staff could make drinks”.

On two occasions Mr Dixon told the court he feared the robbers would choose the vault instead as he had heard this had happened before in bank robberies.

Despite Mr Dixon’s conversation with “copper tip” the gang eventually decided to lock the staff in the cages used at the depot for storing money.

Mr Dixon said he was locked alone in a piano cage, named as such due to its shape, which was secured with two padlocks.

At this point, he discovered his wife and child were also at the depot and were wheeled from the direction of the loading bay, locked in their own piano cage.

The court heard about the confusion surrounding the actual money snatch and staff member Tony Mason was asked to take money from the vault using a power lift.

Mr Dixon said the machine seemed to get stuck leading the robbers to think Mr Mason was being difficult.

Previously, Mr Dixon had been asked how much money was at the depot.

He replied: “£200 million” and asked the robbers how much money they intended to take and they told him about half.

Mr Dixon was giving evidence against seven men and one woman who are all charged in connection with the £53 million robbery at the Securitas depot, Vale Road, Tonbridge, in February 2006.

Lea Rusha, of Lambersart Close, Southborough; Stuart Royle, from Allen Street, Maidstone; Jetmir Bucpapa, of Hadlow Road, Tonbridge; Roger Coutts, of The Green, Welling; John Fowler, of Chart Hill Road, Staplehurst; Ermir Hysenaj, of New Road, Crowborough; and Michelle Hogg, of Brinklow Crescent, Woolwich, have all pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to kidnap, conspiracy to rob and conspiracy to have in their possession a firearm.

A seventh man, Keith Borer, from Hampstead Lane, Yalding, stands accused of dishonestly receiving £6,100 of stolen Securitas money, which he denies.

The moment when armed robbers confronted employees at the depot has been shown to the jury.

CCTV evidence of the robbery, which lasted just over an hour, show the gang entering the Vale Road depot and snatching nearly £53 million in cash.

The jury saw silent scenes of the scared employees huddled together with their hands held above their heads while a masked robber pointed what appeared to be a long gun towards them.

Mr Dixon, who has remained calm throughout giving evidence, watched as images of his kidnapped wife and child were shown to the court.

These included the two held in the back of the white van where Mrs Dixon hugged her child closely.

Scenes of the robbers jumping on money cages and loading cash into their white getaway van were also shown.

Towards the end of the images, scenes of the hostages being forced into cramped money cages appeared.

Later the court saw them escape from their cages and Mr Dixon hugging his child and holding hands.

The trial continues.