A GANG shouted “the Feds are here” before shooting dead a police officer who interrupted them during an armed robbery, a court heard.

Police constable Sharon Beshenivsky, from Keighley, and her colleague PC Teresa Milburn were shot at point blank range as they responded to a robbery at Universal Express travel agents in Morley Street, Bradford, in November, 2005.

Leeds Crown Court has heard a total of seven men were involved in carrying out the raid, with alleged ringleader Piran Ditta Khan the last to face trial.

Khan, 75, travelled to Pakistan two months after the robbery and evaded arrest until he was detained by Pakistani authorities in 2020 and extradited to the UK last year.

Prosecutors say that although Khan was not one of the three men who carried out the robbery, and didn't leave the safety of a Mercedes SLK allegedly being used as a lookout car, he is guilty of PC Beshenivsky’s murder due to his “pivotal” role in planning the raid knowing that loaded weapons were to be used.

Jurors have heard that of the seven men, Khan was the only one familiar with Universal Express after using the business to send money to family in Pakistan.

Khan’s trial has heard evidence from the three sons of Mohammad Yousaf, who owned Universal Express at the time.

Waqas Yousaf, who now owns the business, pressed a panic button during the robbery which led to PC Beshenivsky and PC Milburn being called to the scene.

Aqeel Yousaf, the eldest brother, told the court he let the three robbers into the office through an electronic door and had a conversation about airline tickets with one of them before another jumped onto the counter holding a gun.

Mr Yousaf said the three men “bundled” everyone into an office, told them to lie on the floor and tied their hands while demanding money.

Aqeel Yousaf said Waqas took the men to the safe to show them it was empty.

He said at one point he heard one of the men saying “the Feds are here". He added: “I heard the metal doors opening. I heard what sounded like a gunshot and a scream.

“Then I heard a short time after that almost simultaneous shots."

Khan denies murder, two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and two counts of possession of a prohibited weapon.

The trial continues.