All seven men accused of conspiring to murder a Keighley security guard have been found guilty.

The jury at Leeds Crown Court delivered its verdict yesterday afternoon after hours of deliberation.

The six-week trial had heard how Qadir Ahmed, 24, of Gordon Street, Keighley, was ambushed and killed as he left the town's leisure centre on February 13 last year.

Judge Richard Henriques, sentencing Zulfiqar Asif, described as the ringleader said: "I have no doubt that Qadir Ahmed was killed against a background of drug dealing.

"He died a most terrible death with an axe blow to the back of his head. A knife wound was a second potentially fatal wound.

"The public must know and those who live in Keighley must know that if murders are planned and executed in public places such as this that there will be long prison sentences. Yours must be the longest."

The defendants -- Zulfiqar Asif, 23, of Bradford Road, Keighley, described by the judge as the ring leader of the operation was jailed for 20 years; Amjad Ali Azam, 21, of Surrey Street, Keighley, who bought axes and hammers was sentenced to 15 years; Mohammed Iqbal, 24, of Salt Street, Manningham, Bradford, who bought two cars used in the incident and arranged for them to be ready, was jailed for 15 years; Perveez Ashraf, 26, of Victoria Park View, Keighley, who drove one of the cars, was jailed for six years; Zahir Bashir, 27, of Emily Street, Keighley, will be sentenced today; Mohammed Rafiq, 21, of Chatsworth Street, Keighley, who repaired one of the cars, was jailed for six years; and Atif Younis, 22, of Buxton Street, Keighley, who took part in the purchase of weapons was jailed for seven years. All denied the charges.

Aqaf Younis, 19, of Bradford Road, Keighley, was given a conditional discharge for two years. He had pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice at an earlier hearing.

To Amjad Ali Azam the judge said: "Your culpability is less than Zulphiqar's but nevertheless substantial. You bought axes and hammers and you were in regular communication with the others and there is no doubt you knew full well what was afoot.

"You agreed that Qadir Ahmed be killed and you must pay the price for that."

The court heard how Mr Ahmed's car was rammed off the road shortly after he left Keighley Leisure Centre, at about 11pm, where he had been playing football.

The prosecution alleged that it was the defendants who staged the ambush and then chased Mr Ahmed on to the nearby Victoria Park roundabout, where they attacked him with a variety of weapons.

A post mortem examination showed that he died from several stab wounds to the body and a fractured skull.

Prosecutor Mrs Jennifer Kershaw had told the trial that the men plotted the murder for two weeks, buying second-hand cars, a mask and gloves to carry out the attack. They also bought weapons, including axes and hammers, from the B&Q store close to where the killing took place.

A Rover car, possibly used to run Mr Ahmed down, was set on fire two hours after he died.

Mrs Kershaw said: "His attackers lay in wait in their vehicles in the dark. They had armed themselves with wooden poles or sticks, hammers and at least one axe.

"The vehicles were armed weapons in as much as they were used to ram Mr Ahmed's car.

"He ran but, because of a limp, was caught up and grossly outnumbered. He was knocked down and beaten to death."

She said Mr Ahmed had a conviction for supplying class A drugs for which he had served a prison sentence. On release he had set himself up as a security guard.

After yesterday's verdict was announced, Det Supt Phil Sedgwick -- who led the investigation -- said: "These men thought they were untouchable. When we searched their HQ, a flat in Keighley, we found a poster of Al Capone on the wall. They acted like gangsters but in reality they were just thugs and criminals.

"This was a very difficult inquiry because a lot of the people we were dealing with were naturally very unfriendly towards the police.

"This brutal crime threw the media spotlight on Keighley for all the wrong reasons. I would like to reassure the people of Keighley that it is a safe and pleasant place to live.

"This was a targeted attack and today's verdict shows that violence will not be tolerated on our streets."

In the months following Mr Ahmed's killing, police took more than 800 statements and recovered over 1,200 exhibits and 160 vehicles were traced.

Det Chief Insp Gerry O'Shea added: "I am delighted with the convictions and I'm pleased for the team of detectives who worked tirelessly and so professionally, and I am grateful to the legal prosecution team who in their professionalism helped secure these convictions.

"Most of all I am pleased for the good folk of Keighley and the public in general who can take reassurance from this.

"A violent group of thugs has been removed from the streets."

The victim's brother Nazir Ahmed, 37, who was in court said: "I am happy that these terrible crimes have been dealt with and I thank the police officers and jury for doing their jobs.

"Keighley has many problems with attacks of Asians against Asians and I hope that we can return to normal living and to get on with each other."