'Heist insider' was new to depot

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The alleged "inside man" in the £53m Securitas robbery told the Old Bailey he was offered the job at the Tonbridge depot two months before the robbery.

Ermir Hysenaj, 28, from Crowborough, East Sussex, said he was given the position after a 10 minute interview.

Mr Hysenaj, who is accused of secretly filming the inside of the depot and passing on the footage, said staff were regularly searched.

He and six other men deny charges in connection with the robbery in 2006.

The Crown claim Mr Hysenaj, who is Albanian, wore a special belt, with a miniature camera in it, on 16 January 2006, to take secret surveillance from inside the depot.

We were told that if we were kidnapped we should ring [an 0800] number, which I thought was a bit strange Ermir Hysenaj

He is also accused of passing on the footage and other inside information to a friend and fellow countryman, Jetmir Bucpapa, who is accused of being one of the robbers.

The court heard Mr Hysenaj signed up with a recruitment agency that asked him if he was interested in a job at the Securitas depot.

Michael Boardman, defending, asked: "Were you at the time aware that there was a cash depot in Tonbridge?"

Mr Hysenaj replied: "No. I didn't even know it existed." He began work there on 13 December 2005.

Regularly searched

He said he was told during an induction course how much money the depot dealt with and was also told about security, including 66 close circuit cameras, in the depot.

Mr Boardman asked: "Were you advised about personal security?"

Mr Hysenaj said: "Yes. We were given a card with an 0800 telephone number on it and were told that if we were kidnapped we should ring that number, which I thought was a bit strange."

He said staff were regularly searched and he said he heard some staff had been sacked for stealing money.

Conspiracy charges

The defendants on trial include car salesman Stuart Royle, 48, of Maidstone, and his former business partner, John Fowler, 58, of Staplehurst, both Kent.

Also charged are Jetmir Bucpapa, 26, of Tonbridge, Kent; roofer Lea Rusha, 35, of Southborough, Kent; and garage owner Roger Coutts, 30, of Welling, south-east London.

They all deny conspiracy to rob, conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to possess firearms.

Signwriter Keith Borer, 53, of Maidstone, Kent, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of handling stolen money.

The trial continues.