BUNGLING crooks caught with a script of their planned jewel heist have been sentenced to five years in jail.

Colin Doran, aged 25, and 41-year-old Philip Greig were rehearsing a raid on a post office van when a police surveillance team caught them.

On September 28, Croydon Crown Court heard police found the duo had a piece of paper with stage directions for the robbery.

It included a list of items to bring to the robbery, including a gun, tape and balaclavas - and scripted lines.

Armed officers arrested Doran, of Haddington Road, Bromley, and Greig, of Maynards House, Churchfields Road, Beckenham, on March 20.

They searched Doran's van and found a Webley imitation handgun inside a post office bag.

The target of the robbery was a packet of jewels addressed to Ken Carr International Jewellers in Beckenham High Street.

Post office workers delivering rare jewellery worth more than £40,000 in total to Ken Carr had been robbed on two occasions last year - on January 28 and December 19.

The court heard among the papers found when police searched Doran's home was a piece of paper which read: "Quick, get the packets for Ken Carr or we'll shoot you."

Christopher Johnstone, mitigating, said out-of-work builder Doran had lost large sums of money playing cards and had resorted to loan sharks to pay off his debts.

The court heard Greig was also motivated by desperation for money after suffering an injury at work.

Both men were sentenced to four years for conspiracy to rob and five years for possession of an illegal firearm with intent to use in the robbery.

They pleaded guilty to both offences and their sentences will run concurrently.

Doran was given six months in prison, to run consecutively, for his part in an attempted theft from a ticket machine at Watton at Stone station, Hertfordshire, on February 16.

He was also given six months, to run concurrently, for causing criminal damage to the machine, which was attacked with an angle grinder.

Doran pleaded guilty to both offences.