A GANG of Bolton robbers who used a decoy dressed in a burkha to launch a frenzied attack on a jewellery shop are starting jail sentences totalling more than 42 years.

CCTV footage shows how one raider posed as a female to gain entry to Muzzafer’s Jewellers in Burnley — only to be followed by three accomplices wielding an imitation rifle, sword and metal baseball bats.

Rais Atcha, Baber Khan, Faheem Kola and Mohammed Khan tried to downplay their roles in a robbery spree across Bolton and Burnley.

But jailing each of them at Preston Crown Court, Judge Pamela Badley told the quartet their violent campaign was “utterly despicable”.

The court heard how the same gang also carried out a terrifying armed robbery on an elderly couple in Ellesmere Road, Morris Green.

The couple, aged 85 and 77, were attacked, robbed and tied up in their own home by masked men carrying an axe and a hammer.

The gang also held up a couple aged 74 and 63 at their own home in Fairfield Drive, Burnley.

Prosecutor Charlotte Holland said that a gang member threatened to cut off the elderly woman’s hand if she did not remove treasured jewellery.

Atcha, aged 20, of Burwell Close, Daubhill, Baber Khan, aged 25, of Willows Lane, Deane, Kola, aged 19, of Mancroft Avenue, Daubhill, and Mohammed Khan, aged 26, of Jasmine Court, Great Lever, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob between February and May 2011.

Judge Badley jailed Atcha for 12 years, Kola for 10 years and eight months and Baber Khan for 10 years and eight months.

Mohammed Khan, who had previous convictions for drug dealing and wounding, was jailed for nine years and four months and ordered to serve a five-year extended period on licence.

Atcha, who had gambling problems, claimed he was only the getaway driver for the jewellery and Fairfield Drive attacks.

And Kola, another gambling addict, said he was only involved in the jewellers’ and Fairfield Drive raids.

He insisted he never went into the jewellers and was a lookout in the last incident.

Mohammed Khan similarly claimed he was just a driver for the Ellesmere Road robbery and Baber Khan, who said he was deeply remorseful for his actions, ‘only went along for the promise of £2,000’.

But the judge told them they must each bear varying degrees of responsibility for what went on during the three robberies as part of the overall conspiracy.

Speaking after the case, Det Sgt Nicola Bithell said: “These men are dangerous offenders who have been running riot in Lancashire and Greater Manchester for some time. The gang used extreme violence and weapons to threaten the victims, leaving them terrified.”

Stack of forensic evidence led to conviction of gang

THEY committed a series of terrifying violent robberies — but left behind a trail of evidence which yesterday landed them behind bars.

Defendants Rais Atcha, Faheem Kola, Mohammed Asif Khan and Baber Khan admitted their parts in the robberies after police presented a stack of forensic evidence against them.

They were caught when the getaway car, which was captured on CCTV, crashed on a motorway a week after the jewellery shop raid.

Detectives believe they were on their way to commit another crime when the gold Mercedes C Class crashed into the hard shoulder of the M65 between Blackburn and Burnley.

Witnesses saw two men get out, take a gun from the boot, and run to another vehicle on the hard shoulder. Det Insp Simon Cheyte, from Burnley CID, said: “We believe they were probably on their way to do something and lost control of the car and crashed.

That probably saved someone from becoming a victim that afternoon.” The vehicle was recovered and blood on the door handle was matched to Atcha using DNA analysis.

CCTV caught all four men red-handed with stolen money from a robbery in Fairfield Drive in Burnley.

The gang went to Marks and Spencer Bureau de Change in Bolton and exchanged US dollars, which may not have appeared suspicious at the time. But police suspected a Bolton gang was behind the robbery and asked officers in Bolton to stop a Vauxhall Corsa because they believed it was involved.

Mohammed Asif Khan and Kola were in the car and were arrested. Inside, officers found gloves, cash and a receipt for the transaction in Marks and Spencer, which lead them to the CCTV of the four defendants.

The gloves were tested— one had Baber Khan’s DNA on it as well as DNA from the robbery victims. Baber Khan also admitted that he was involved in a robbery at an elderly couple’s home in Bolton after a shoe impression was found which matched a pair he owned.

Three men burst into the couple’s home and tied them up and stole money and jewellery. The judge sentenced them on the basis that they all knew what was being planned.

Det Insp Cheyte added: “They are four extremely dangerous men who had no regard for their victims’ safety.

It is satisfying that they are going to be serving long sentences which will protect people.”