POLICE are appealing for witnesses after an attempted robbery was foiled by a security driver's quick thinking.

A gang of five men boxed in a Securicor van using a Land Rover and a dark coloured Mercedes car, police said.

They pounced as the van was delivering cash to the Abbey National bank on Queensway, Petts Wood, at about 9.30pm on November 4.

Detective Sergeant Paul Bickley, of the Flying Squad, said: "The Land Rover pulled up at the rear of the van and the Mercedes came round the front to block it in."

One man armed with a shot-gun, another with a nail gun and a third with a sledge hammer then leapt out onto the pavement.

Det Sgt Bickley said: "One man fired a nail gun into the windscreen while another attacker struck it with a sledgehammer.

"The guard feared for his safety and reversed, ramming back into the Land Rover and then came to a halt outside the kebab shop.

"This scared the robbers who got back into the cars and drove off."

The front of the Land Rover may have been damaged during the incident, he added, while the Mercedes was later abandoned and has been recovered.

One of the men was black, another is described as white, bald and about 45 years old, while the third was completely covered by a face mask and gloves.

Witnesses or anyone with information about the attack should call the Flying Squad on 0207 407 6319 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.