AN ACCRINGTON man has told of his relief after the co-worker who arranged for him to be mugged was jailed.

Qaiser Mehboob was carrying £12,000 of his employer’s cash when he was beaten up in the street outside his Primrose Street home.

The co-worker, 27-year-old Anthony Underdown of the Green, Ribbleton, who set up the security guard, has now been jailed at Preston Crown Court.

Mr Mehboob, 30, was robbed just before midnight when he was approached by two men and hit across the back of the head.

The father-of-one’s bag was stolen along with cash he was to bank the following day. His attackers, who were wearing dark clothes and had their faces covered, left in a car.

The men who set upon him in June last year were soon traced by the distinctive number plate of their getaway vehicle.

The two attackers Martin McDermott, 25, of Watling Street, and Thomas Lynch, 26 of Hope Lane, both Preston, were jailed for 40 and 48 months respectively last year.

However the investigation continued to uncover how they could have known the convenience store security guard was carrying the cash at the time.

On Wednesday Preston Crown Court sentenced Underdown to 16 months in jail for assisting the robbery.

Both he and Mr Mehboob had worked together at Nisa Local Convenience store in Miller Road, Ribbleton.

Qaiser said: “I was very shocked to discover who it was, because he was someone I trusted and discovering what he did left me speechless.

“I still feel scared when I think about what happened. It is no small thing to be attacked by two men like that. I’m glad they have all been jailed.”

His employer Zahid Akhtar said: “It has shocked us all because we never even suspected such a thing. We had a small trustworthy team and now we feel like we cannot be like that any more.”

Preston Crown Court also ordered McDermott to repay £7,040 in a Proceeds of Crime hearing on Wednesday. £5,000 of the stolen cash had been recovered during arrests.

DC Dan Perkins said: “I’m glad Underdown has been convicted for his part because without him there would have been no offence.

“It was a massive breach of trust he committed with his employers, who had forgiven him for stealing cigarettes, however, he repaid them like this.”