An “insider,” who helped set up the violent robbery of a delivery van in which a man had a gun pointed at his head has been jailed for eight years.

More than £20,000 was stolen from the meat delivery truck when the gang posed as police to stop it and rob its occupants at gunpoint.

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday that Nassar Khan, of Bowling Hall Road, East Bowling, Bradford, had liaised by phone with the robbers before they struck.

The judge, Recorder Carl Gumsley, said it was a “nasty, unpleasant and callous” robbery in which the victims had a gun pointed at them, were punched, threatened, tied up and the driver dumped out of a getaway car.

Recorder Gumsley said: “One can only imagine the fear and terror that all three men were feeling.”

He said Khan, 31, had supplied information to the gang and it was a significant breach of trust.

Prosecutor Patrick Palmer said that, on November 17 last year, HGV driver Andrew Ward had been delivering halal meat in Manchester for Bradford-based Yorkshire Poultry with a nephew of the owners, Mohammed Hussain, and Abdul Khaliq. Khan was helping with deliveries.

He had been constantly using his phone and used a ruse to stop the lorry at the Asda store in Rooley Lane where he got out. Almost immediately, a Vauxhall car pulled up with a flashing light in the rear window.

Mr Ward, thinking it was an unmarked police car, followed it to the loading bay.

He was told to get in the car, where a masked man pointed a pistol at him. The gunman then got in the lorry cab and punched Mr Hussain and pointed the gun at him.

Mr Khaliq was punched, had the gun pointed at him and was forced to open the safe and cash and cheques were stolen.

Mr Ward was driven away in the car and told: “We know where you live. We’ll put a bullet in you if you go to the police,” before dumping him.

Khan was later traced to Luton but denied being involved. The identity of the other three robbers remains unknown.

Stephen Wood, mitigating, said Khan, did not know a firearm was to be used and committed the offences to feed his drug habit.

Recorder Gumsley commended Detective Constables Alan Sergeant and Sean Donoghue for tracking down Khan.

Det Con Sergeant said they were still looking for the three other suspects and anyone with information could contact (01274) 376575.