A MAKE-UP artist accused of making the disguises for the robbers in Britain's biggest ever heist was cleared at the Old Bailey.

Michelle Hogg, 32, had faced three charges connected to the £53m Securitas raid in Tonbridge but walked free on Wednesday on the direction of Judge Mr Justice Penry-Davey.

She was said to have created the prosthetic masks to help disguise the team who grabbed trolleys full of foriegn currency from the headquarters of the security firm.

Miss Hogg sat in the well of the court with her mother as she was formally cleared for reasons that cannot be reported.

A temporary foreman gave three not guilty verdicts, before she was whisked out of court by senior Kent police officers.

Prosecutor Sir John Nutting earlier told the jury: "After careful consideration, and in the interests of justice, the Crown has decided to discontinue the prosecution against Miss Hogg and therefore we ask the jury to return a verdict of not guilty.

The judge then turned to the 10 remaining jurors and added: "'This no doubt comes as a surprise to you.

"The prosecution can discontinue criminal proceedings against a defendant at any stage. I am not in a position to give you further details about this at this stage.

"The proceedings have to be discontinued and you are in charge of Miss Hogg.

"I order you to find her not guilty on each of the three counts. You have to formally return those verdicts."

Miss Hogg was cleared of conspiracy to kidnap, conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to possess a firearm at the time of committing and offence.

The court has heard how gang members posing as police officers abducted depot boss Colin Dixon, 52, on his way home from work.

They grabbed his wife Lynn and young child from the family home in Herne Bay and drove them to a remote farm.

There Mr Dixon was forced to hand over the depot's security secrets before travelling with the gang of gun-toting thieves to Tonbridge.

Once inside, the gang rounded up staff and held them at gunpoint before fleeing with £53m - the biggest robbery haul in British history.

The seven men remaining on trial are John Fowler, 58, Stuart Royle, 48, Emir Hysenaj, 27, Jetmir Bucpapa, 26, Lea Rusha, 24, Roger Coutts, 30, and Keith Borer, 53.

Car dealer Fowler of Elderden Farm, Chart Hill Road, Staplehurst, car salesman Royle of Allen Street, Maidstone, unemployed Bucpapa of Hadlow Road, Tonbridge, roofer Rusha of Lambersart Close, Southborough, near Tunbridge Wells, Hysenaj, of New Road, Crowborough, Sussex and Coutts, a garage owner of The Green, Welling, all deny conspiracy to kidnap, conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to possess a firearm at the time of committing and offence.

Hairdresser Miss Hogg, of Brinklow Crescent, Woolwich, south-east London, also denied the charges.

Borer, of Little Venice Country Park, Hampstead Lane, Yalding, near Maidstone, denies handling stolen goods.

The trial continues.