Plasma screens erected in court eight at the Old Bailey showed the faces of each of the eight defendants in the Securitas robbery trial in turn today as the prosecution described the seven men and and one woman detectives believe carried out Britain's largest robbery.

Lea Rusha

Mr Rusha lives in Southborough, Kent, a few miles from the Securitas depot. The prosecution said the 35-year-old roofer was "at the heart" of the planning of the heist, including the surveillance of the home of Colin Dixon, the security depot manager taken hostage by the gang.

Mr Rusha was later linked to two caches where "significant" sums of money were recovered, one of £1,370,000 and another at a lock-up near his address where £8,600,000 was found. "The police also recovered the outfit and the weapon he used on the robbery," said Sir John Nutting, prosecuting. "He was surely one of the robbers and may well have been one of the kidnappers."

Stuart Royle

The 48-year-old car salesman was living with his girlfriend in Maidstone at the time of the heist. The prosecution said Mr Royle helped provide the vehicles used to carry out the robbery, as well as trying to find out Mr Dixon's address and then carrying out reconnaissance work. The prosecution said Mr Royle was "certainly present" when the cash was divided up.

Emir Hysenaj

The alleged "inside man". An Albanian Post Office worker from Crowborough, Mr Hysenaj had access to the cash depot and was was a fellow countryman and friend of Jetmir Bucpapa, one of the other alleged conspirators. The court was told that he" provided the defendants with much useful information about the operation of the depot" and made a covert video of the site for the gang on 16 January 2006, a few weeks before the heist.

Jetmir Bucpapa

An unemployed Albanian living in Tonbridge, Mr Bucpapa was an associate of Emir Hysenaj, the gang's alleged "inside man". The 26-year-old is alleged to have played a "key role" in the conspiracy, liaising with Mr Hysenaj and helping make a video of the inside of the depot. He is also alleged to have made enquiries about Mr Dixon's home address and providing transport for the reconnaissance work. Linked to the recovery of the £1,370,000 stash.

Roger Coutts

The prosecution say the DNA of Coutts, a 30-year-old garage owner from Welling, was found on 9 out of 11 cable ties used to handcuff employees during the robbery. "Coutts... was heavily involved in the preparations for the kidnappings and the robbery", said Mr Nutting. Coutts allegedly also had strong links to premises in Welling where £9.7 million was recovered.

John Fowler

The 58-year-old car dealer is alleged to have hired the Renault lorry used in the robbery and allowed his isolated property, Elderdon Farm, in Staplehurst, Kent as a parking base for the gang. The Dixons were also allegedly held captive on the farm, where the spoils of the heist were later divided up. Mr Fowler is also alleged to have moved the cages used to store the money to a more isolated farm called Friningham for their later destruction. Mr Fowler is not accused of being a kidnapper or one of the robbers.

Michelle Hogg

Ms Hogg is alleged to have admitted her role in making high quality disguises for four men at Hair Hectik in south London where she worked. But she denied knowing what they would be used for. She said she was too frightened to name the men she had disguised. The ability of the gang to change their appearance was described as an "essential" part of the plan by the prosecution, but the role of Ms Hogg is believed to have been limited to helping those who carried out the kidnapping of the Dixon family on February 21, 2006. Ms Hogg has admitted applying prosthetic masks to four men on February 19 and touching up the masks on each of the next two days. It is not suggested she was a kidnapper or a robber.

Keith Borer

Mr Borer, a 53-year-old signwriter from Maidstone is alleged to have helped change the identity of a red LDV van used in the kidnapping of Mrs Dixon and her child. He is accused handling stolen money and not accused of taking part in the kidnappings or robbery.

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