FORENSIC tests on red security dye from a stolen cashbox was found on the clothes of a man who has admitted being part of a gang of robbers.

And tests on a red stain found on a £20 note taken from £820 cash found at the house of the mother of another man who denied robbery showed it was special security staining dye.

Forensic scientist Andrew Mulley said tests he had conducted on a T-shirt and tracksuit bottoms belonging to Mark Hope, who has admitted his role in the robbery, showed the dye was SR9, a special dye used in cash boxes.

The same dye was found on the edge of a £20 note found at the home Colin Smith's mother.

At Bolton Crown Court, Smith, aged 20, of Glover Street, Leigh, has denied robbing security guard George Pecoldi of £3,268.

Balaclavas

Adele Smith, aged 16, had earlier said she had been riding her horse when she saw a red car speed on to the field. She saw four men wearing black bala clavas and orange smoke was pouring out of a cash box.

The car stopped 10 yards from her and the men got out and started smashing the box with a sledgehammer which emitted a cloud of red dye and then burst into flames.

The security dye activated as men tried to open the cash box they had snatched from a security guard they had attacked minutes earlier with a hammer and an axe.

The robbery happened outside the Westleigh Housing Association, Westwell Street in Westleigh on August 18 last year.

A security guard was carrying a cashbox from the offices to the van when he was set upon by two men in balaclavas weilding an axe and a hammer.

(Proceeding)