THREE men, including one from Farnworth, have been jailed for their part in a cash-in-transit robbery.

At about 10.30am on Thursday April 25, last year, a security guard was delivering cash to Barclays bank on Bury New Road, Prestwich, when a man ran at him.

The security guard attempted to fight him off but the man punched him in the face causing him to fall to the floor.

The man grabbed the cash box and got onto the back of a motorbike which pulled up.

Those on the bike were Michael Coupe, aged 27, of Florence Street, Eccles and Liam Wilcox, aged 32, of Higher Market Street, Farnworth.

Coupe and Wilcox later abandoned the motorbike on Hilton Lane, Prestwich, and got into a Fiat Punto and drove to Linden Avenue in Salford.

Officers from the Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit had seen the vehicle and followed Wilcox into a shop in nearby Duchy Road where he was arrested.

Officers then went to a house on Linden Avenue, Salford where they arrested Coupe and Craig Temple, aged 50, who lived at the house.

The security guard suffered a fractured jaw and had some of his teeth knocked out in the attack.

For their roles in the raid, the trio were sentenced by Recorder Kevin Talbot at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday.

Coupe admitted robbery and was jailed for six years, Wilcox admitted robbery and was jailed for nine years and Temple was found guilty of handling stolen goods after a trial and was jailed for four years.

Afterwards, Detective Inspector Chris Mossop, of Greater Manchester Police’s serious crime division, said: “This was a serious robbery involving a large amount of cash and which left the courier, who was simply doing his job, with a broken jaw.

“Incidents of this nature are rare however we take them very seriously and will work tirelessly to find those responsible.

“Officers were on the scene quickly and carried out an intense search to recover the cash and arrest Coupe, Wilcox and Temple.

“These men have now been jailed and I hope this stands as a warning to other would-be robbers that if anyone attempts this sort of crime, we will track them down and bring them before the courts.”