A witness has denied that he saw the driver of a Securicor cash van threatened with a gun to become the inside man in a plan to rob the vehicle.

More than £300,000 was taken during the raid on the armoured van at the Crown Retail Park, Leeds, in January 2002.

The security van driver Amir Hussain, 23, of Horton Grange Road, Great Horton, Bradford, and Fahim Azam, 23, of Farnham Road, Great Horton, both deny carrying out the robbery.

Earlier in the trial, the jury at Leeds Crown Court was told that a third defendant Mohammed Farooq, 22, of Hollingwood Lane, Lidget Green, had pleaded guilty to the robbery.

During cross-examination yesterday, Hussain's barrister Kevin Metzger QC, asked witness Akeel Baig if he and a Mr Shoukat pulled up alongside Hussain in a white Ford Transit van and forced him inside.

"Mr Hussain was invited to jump into the rear of the van because both of you wished to speak to him," Mr Metzger said to Mr Baig.

"That is just all false," Mr Baig replied.

"Mr Shoukat was very aggressive and produced a firearm, a gun. Do you recall that?" he asked. "No," Mr Baig said.

Mr Metzger said that Hussain was then asked about the van's security features by Mr Shoukat.

"Mr Hussain told him, and you because you were there, that he did not want to be involved," Mr Metzger said. "I suggest Mr Shoukat would not take no for an answer and became even more aggressive."

"Did he shoot him?" Mr Baig asked.

"Do you think it is funny?" asked Mr Metzger.

"Yes, because it is a pack of lies," said Mr Baig.

The jury also heard from a number of Hussain's former co-workers at Securicor.

They said that Hussain had not always followed correct procedures in securing cash in the van's time-locked safes.

Under cross examination by Richard Gioserano, barrister for Fahim Azam, Mr Baig told the court how he was arrested in connection with the robbery, but was later released without charge.

"At the time you were arrested what did you think you were being arrested for?" Mr Gioserano asked.

"I didn't really know. After they arrested me I found out it was something to do with this case," Mr Baig replied.

He went on to tell the court how he had borrowed £1,000 from Hussain to buy a car in January 2002.

He believed Hussain got the money from his student loan, and Mr Baig said he paid him back days later after selling his old car.

The hearing continues.