An airport security guard has told how he was tricked into emptying

£1 million from a vault.

David Rickman said he was then fooled into helping a convincing crook load the haul into a getaway van.

He said neither the "badged" bogus Brinks Ltd vehicle nor the man's fake uniform and pass rang any alarm bells.

Even the timing of the 3am collection only registered as "slightly unusual".

Once all 13 bags had been stacked in the back, the thief signed a release note and sped off, London's Southwark Crown Court was told.

The van and its illicit cargo only made it a short distance from Gatwick airport before Flying Squad officers pounced.

In the dock are Paul Bowers, 37, of Drew Road, Silvertown Way, North Woolwich, south-east London; Lewis Nicholl, 55, of Union Street, Maidstone, Kent; and alleged airport insider Keith Rayment, 29, of Pride View, Stone Cross, near Eastbourne.

The first two deny six charges of conspiracy between August 22, 2002, and May 7, 2003, variously alleging plots to steal, obtain property by deception and handle stolen goods.

Rayment pleads not guilty to one of the deception charges.

The Crown has claimed Bowers, Nicholl and others named in the indictment but not before the court operated from an east London boxing gym and were deeply involved in "organised and professional crime" the length of Britain.

Timothy Barnes, QC, prosecuting, alleged the gang had stolen £83,000 of food blenders and hi-fis, a £500,000 vodka consignment and a £30,000 load of Sellotape.

He said a £1.1 million raid on the British Airways World Cargo depot at Gatwick was regarded as the ultimate prize, however.

The gang first bought a Ford Transit van, transformed it into a security vehicle, got some uniforms and carried out reconnaissance of the area.

But by far the most crucial task, Mr Barnes alleged, was recruiting Rayment to provide the inside information essential to success.

Mr Barnes told the jury the defendant worked in the cargo centre, where high-value cash consignments are regularly offloaded to await collection, and was on duty the night a telex announced a £1.1 million HSBC delivery was being flown in from Gibraltar.

Security controller Mr Rickman told the court the night of March 27, 2003, had been quiet until he received a call that a van had arrived for the seven-figure fortune locked in the vault.

He said: "I thought it was a bit unusual for a collection at this time of the morning. However, collections are made at all times. I got the vault keys, opened it, carried the packages out and placed them on the trolley. I didn't speak much to the guy but I did say something like it was different inside to the (other) vans and he muttered something back. I was not really listening."

The court then heard how the thief then drove off, straight into the arms of waiting police.

The trial continues.