A father and son from Mitcham have been jailed along with four others for their part in a failed bid to hold up a Group 4 Securicor van.

Unemployed Clive Tedder, 42, has been jailed for 18 years while his son, 22-year-old waste clearance worker Billy French, was given 15 years for their part in the conspiracy uncovered during a police raid in Brighton Road, Tadworth, on June 13 last year.

Tedder and French were arrested along with Mitcham fencer Ashley O'Driscoll, 21, and plumber Michael Cloherty, 42, when they were found in a flat with two handguns, ammunition, mobile phones, Royal Mail uniforms, cable ties, vehicle keys and items connecting the gang to a Group 4 Securicor depot in Dartford.

All four were found guilty on June 29 following a five-week trial at Guildford Crown Court.

Sentenced alongside Tedder and French, O'Driscoll and Cloherty each received 15-year sentences.

Two other men involved in the plot have already been jailed after pleading guilty to conspiracy to steal.

Group 4 Securicor cash transit guard Neil Colbourne, 33, from Leicestershire was sentenced to four years in prison, while 33-year-old air-conditioning engineer Wayne McKenna-Bruce from Chislehurst, Kent, was sentenced to three years.

The seventh and final member of the gang, 45-year-old car dealer and property developer Vincent Calleja, from Tadworth, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob and seven unrelated human trafficking and prostitution charges.

His sentencing was postponed due to the judge being ill and he remains in custody.

Operation Bulwark Detective Inspector Pete Fulton said police had worked hard to catch the gang members.

"We carried out a prompt raid on the flat in Tadworth uncovering a wealth of evidence," D Insp Fulton said.

"We then conducted comprehensive follow-up inquiries, to ensure that all of the people involved in the conspiracy were identified and arrested.

"The result is that seven men, forming a serious and organised criminal gang, are facing significant jail sentences.

"This is testament to the weight of evidence against them and the professionalism of our officers in securing this evidence.

"The Serious Crime Investigation Team continues to work extremely hard, uncovering serious criminality and dealing with perpetrators before they can cause harm to the public. In the last two years, everyone put before a court by the team has either pleaded guilty or been found guilty by a jury.

"This conviction record is unprecedented and highlights the quality and depth of our investigations."