Jurors in the Old Bailey trial of two men accused of taking part in the £53m Securitas depot robbery have retired to consider their verdicts.

Paul Allen, 30, of Huntersfield Close, Chatham, and Michael Demetris, 32, of Bromley, south London, both deny conspiracy to rob, kidnap and possess firearms.

The robbery in Tonbridge in February 2006 was Britain’s biggest cash raid with £53m seized.

Jurors were told Mr Allen and fellow cage-fighter Lee Murray, who is jail in Morocco, were the raid’s masterminds.

The court heard that the two of them fled to Morocco.

Mr Allen was brought back to the UK, while a decision on 29-year-old Mr Murray’s extradition is still to be made.

Mr Allen has said he had nothing to do with the raid and accused Mr Murray of using him in the plot.

During the Old Bailey trial Allen protested his innocence saying he wasn’t capable of kidnapping women and children.

But the prosecution claim Murray and Allen worked closely together to prepare for the Securitas raid.

It is said they bought mobile phones, surveillance cameras and equipment used for reconnaissance on the depot and the home of Securitas manager Colin Dixon.

It has been alleged Mr Demetris, a hairdresser, asked his employee Michelle Hogg to provide prosthetic disguises, similar to those used in theatre and cinema production, for the men involved in the raid.

She was originally charged in connection with the raid but charges were later dropped when she agreed to give evidence for the prosecution.

Demetris was said to have used Allen’s Medway home to put the finishing touches to the gang’s disguises, the trial heard.

Five people were jailed earlier this year for their parts in the raid.