A GANGSTER whose "research" led to a masked, armed raid of a Bury post office has had his "manifestly excessive" jail term cut.

Christopher Robert Williams's job was to observe the Radcliffe Post Office in preparation for the raid, which happened in February, 2002.

The attack terrorised staff who were confronted by other gang members wielding a crow-bar and pick-axe handle, said Mrs Justice Rafferty, sitting at London's Court of Appeal.

Williams, 26, of West Drive, Swinton, Manchester, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob and conspiracy to burgle and was jailed for 13 years on September 30 last year by a judge at Manchester Crown Court for that and other unrelated burglary and theft charges. But Appeal Court judges slashed that to 11 years after accepting lawyers' arguments that the total term he was given was too high.

Williams's work for the gang also involved him helping to set up "hook and cane" burglaries in early 2002, said Mrs Justice Rafferty.

She said car keys were lifted so that the vehicles could be taken for use in future bank and post office raids.

The judge, who was sitting with Lord Justice Buxton and Judge Michael Mettyear, said Williams reconnoitered another post office in Tongfield, Greater Manchester and helped others to dispose of the proceeds from a Building Society raid.

Mrs Justice Rafferty said: "These were serious crimes committed in an area where locals are entitled to protection against prevailing criminals.

"But nevertheless, 13 years might have been thought to have been too high."

A co-defendant, Simon Shaw, aged 26, of Old Lane, Little Hulton, Manchester, who Mrs Justice Rafferty said was the gang's leader, pleaded guilty to the robbery and burglar conspiracies. He was today refused leave to appeal against his sentence of 14 years.