Four Black Country men who beat up a pub manager in order to steal the day's takings have been locked up for a total of more than 16 years.

Kieran Chana was a kitchen worker at the Pheasant Inn in Oldbury when he and three fellow crooks attacked the pub's manager as she walked to the post office opposite to deposit the money.

Chana, aged 25 along with Robert Brady-Ward, aged 25, Colin Talbot, aged 24 and Ayden Cash, aged 20, kicked and punched the female to the ground and stole a bag containing several thousands of pounds in cash. The villains ran to a waiting Volkswagen Polo and made off in broad daylight as stunned witnesses raced to the girl’s assistance.

Police were on the scene in minutes and suspicions were raised by witnesses about a kitchen worker at the pub, who had been on his phone outside at the time of the robbery. Officers arrested Chana the next day and keys found in his possession opened a silver VW Polo with the same registration number as that of the getaway car.

A search of the car revealed several bags of recently purchased clothing in Birmingham and the Merry Hill shopping centre. A CCTV trawl showed Chana and another man making the purchases with large quantities of £20 notes.

An interrogation of Chana’s mobile phone linked him to the same man, who was identified as Cash. Texts also linked the pair to Brady-Ward and further CCTV evidence linked Talbot.

The three men were arrested within days of the offence and all four were charged with conspiracy to rob and remanded into custody.

The four appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday charged with conspiracy to commit a robbery. Chana was sentenced to five and a half years in prison, while Cash was given three years, Talbot got four years and Brady-Ward, three years and eight months. PC Simon Wasley, from Sandwell’s robbery team, said:

"I am pleased that a jury was able to see through Chana’s lies and he has quite justifiably been given a lengthy sentence. I have no doubt he was the mastermind behind the robbery, using his insider knowledge to alert the others when the cash was being taken to the post office, with no regard for the safety of his co-worker.

"Fortunately she has recovered from her ordeal with no more than bruising."