The girlfriends of three of those involved in the Securitas robbery were dramatically cleared on Monday of all charges relating to the record-breaking £53 million heist.

Kim Shackleton, 40, Raluca Millen, 27, and Katie Philp, 24, were due to face trial later this year following the conviction of five men in January.

But at a hearing at the High Court in front of Mr Justice Penry-Davey, prosecutor David Jeremy QC said the Crown was offering no evidence. Formal not guilty verdicts were entered.

Millen and Philp had been charged with conspiracy to rob, conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to possess firearms in relation to the raid at the Securitas cash depository in Tonbridge on February 21 and 22, 2006.

Shackleton was charged with assisting an offender to dispose of metal cash cages belonging to Securitas.

Shackleton, of Allen Street, Maidstone, warehouse worker Millen, of Dudley Road, Tunbridge Wells, and sales assistant Philp, of Hadlow Road, Tonbridge, were all on conditional bail before today's hearing.

Last month Stuart Royle, 49, of Maidstone, Emir Hysenaj, 28, of Crowborough, Jetmir Bucpapa, 26, of Tonbridge, Lea Rusha, 35, of Southborough, and Roger Coutts, 30, of Welling, were jailed for a total of 70 years after being convicted at the Old Bailey.

They were convicted of conspiracy to kidnap, conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to possess a firearm at the time of committing an offence.

Millen was the girlfriend of Bucpapa. Shackleton was Royle's partner and Philp the girlfriend of Rusha.

Other suspects are due to face trial on October 1.