A gang of robbers who targeted cash-carrying vans have today been jailed for more than 20 years.

Brothers David and Alan Kelly, of Moray Road, Finsbury Park and Daryl Salisbury, of Kelvin Road, Highbury were among the eight men sentenced at the Old Bailey.

Between February and June 2014, the group trawled the capital’s streets in stolen sports cars and motorbikes looking for victims.

The gang followed cash-in-transit guards as they made deliveries, attacking and robbing them when they saw an opportunity.

After stealing the cash boxes the men drove to quiet areas and used angle grinders and sledgehammers to open them.

The group, which also included Michael Lewis, Sonny Colligan, Lee Smith, Charles Durkin and Lewis Sokhi stole over £110,000 in total.

Detectives from the Met’s Flying Squad got a lead after an offence involving Durkin, a prisoner on day release.

The Kelly brothers, Lewis and Salisbury were all jailed in January 2015 over a smash and grab at Louis Vuitton, Sloane Street, in June 2014.

They were later charged in relation to 13 cash-in-transit robberies. Detectives then arrested and charged Smith, Durkin and Colligan, and then finally Sokhi, who had been on the run for six months.

DC David Reed, the investigating officer for the Flying Squad, said: “This organised criminal group carried out a string of brazen robberies. In order to evade detection the group committed crimes outside of the London area as far as Bournemouth, using stolen cars and mopeds and constantly changing their mobile phones.

“The convictions today highlight the professionalism and detective ability of the Flying Squad in combating serious and organised crime in the UK”.

The sentences are as follows:

David Kelly, 31, and Alan Kelly 22, of Moray Road, Islington, were sentenced to two years and six months [added to seven years being served for the smash and grab conviction] and one year and nine months imprisonment [to be added to the three years and six months for the smash and grab conviction].

Daryl Salisbury, 26, of Kelvin Road, Islington, was jailed for two years and four months [added to the six years for the smash and grab conviction].

Michael Lewis, 27, of Upminster Road South, Rainham, was jailed for two years [added to the six years for the smash and grab conviction].

Sonny Colligan and Lee Smith, both 24 and of Chester Road, Camden, were jailed for three years and three years and nine months.

Charles Durkin, 25, of Princes Avenue, Muswell Hill, and Lewis Sokhi, 23, of Hayes Crescent, Golders Green, were both sentenced to three years and four months.