A GANG has been sentenced for a “frightening spree” of armed robberies on convenience stores – including outlets in Wilsden and Denholme.

The group targeted a string of stores across the Bradford district, using an arsenal of weapons including a BB gun, machete, knives, meat cleaver and an axe to steal a host of items including cash, cigarettes and stamps.

Ismail Ahmed, 18; Anas Ahmed, 19, both of Cottam Terrace, Bradford, and Aidan Naveed, 18, of Waverley Terrace, Bradford, all jointly conspired together to rob stores in Bradford, Queensbury, Wilsden and Denholme over a period of months.

A 17-year-old youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, also conspired with Ismail and Anas Ahmed and Naveed to commit some of the robberies.

The shop robberies followed the same pattern; a group of four or five suspects wearing dark clothing, gloves and balaclavas would enter the shop, demand money from the till, jump over the shop counter and fill a duvet, laundry bag, holdall or rucksack with cash, cigarettes or stamps.

On each occasion one of the men holding a weapon, usually an axe, would stay on guard at the front door of the shop, acting as a lookout, while the robbery was in progress. The gang would then drive off in a getaway car, Bradford Crown Court heard. Hundreds of pounds worth of items were taken in each of the robberies, which took place on a number of occasions between February and December 2019.

Anas Ahmed was sentenced to six years and six months in a young offenders' institution for the two charges he faced for conspiracy to rob; the first between between February 2 and May 10, 2019 and the second charge between December 1 and 31, 2019.

Ismail Ahmed was sentenced to six years and three months in a young offenders' institution for the same offences. He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months upon his release for dangerous driving after being involved in a police pursuit after one of the robberies in Denholme.

Naveed was sentenced to five years and seven months in a young offenders' institution for the same offences.

The 17-year-old youth was sentenced to an 18-month detention and training order for his part in the conspiracies to rob.

A fifth defendant, Hamid Yameen, 19, of Clive Place, Bradford, was also sentenced for conspiracy to rob after he prepared one of the group’s getaway cars that they used in one of the robberies, at a Cop-op in Wilsden on March 24, 2019. He was given a two-year community order, and ordered to complete a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement and 300 hours unpaid work in the community.

In mitigation, the court heard the defendants’ ages and immaturity should be taken into account at the time of the robberies, with many of them being aged between 15 and 17.