UK kick-boxing champion foils armed robbery

A gang of armed robbers got a double shock when they ambushed security guard Mark Elliott and a colleague as they made a cash delivery to a petrol station.

Firstly, they were unprepared for Mr Elliott's training as a former British kick-boxing champion.

The group were also unaware that they were under surveillance from Flying Squad officers at the time of the raid on a Shell petrol station in Hemel Hempstead in September.

Mr Elliott told the Standard: "Two blokes leapt out and ran towards me screaming 'give me the money'."

The 46-year-old promptly dropped one of his attackers with a sharp kick - causing the second to turn and flee.

When his assailant got up and attacked him again, the Loomis guard grappled him to the ground, not realising he was wielding a knife.

Seconds later, armed officers swooped on two of the remaining gang members as they tried to escape. Another was held two months later after a separate robbery. Following the attack, father-of-one Mr Elliott noticed his polo shirt had been slashed by the weapon, but he had escaped injury because his security pass had taken the force of the blow.

He said: "I saw these two guys running at me and I just went into fight mode. I think my self defence knowledge kicked in immediately and it just took over." Mr Elliott won two British Thai boxing titles in 1990 and 1991 and has black belts in martial arts including tae kwon do.

Four men have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery in connection with five raids across London, Essex, and Hertfordshire. The gang escaped with a total of £110,000 in cash, none of which has been recovered.

Paul Bryant, 26, of Holloway, Anthony Powell, 29, of Islington, and Paul Mursell, 41, of no fixed abode, were due to be sentenced today at Harrow crown court.

Alfie Atherton, 18, of Poplar, was jailed for four years this month for offences including the five raids and a separate robbery at Ernest Jones in Kensington in October.