Police seized an arms stash from a Bradford flat after a loaded pistol was wielded in a terrifying night time robbery of a minicab driver, a Court head.

The gun was cocked at Ishfaq Ahmed when he was lured into a dark car park in West Bowling and stripped of his evening’s takings by Stephen Bell and Ryan Baker.

A judge at Bradford Crown Court yesterday jailed Bell, 24, of no fixed address, for seven and a half years and Baker, 19, of Central Avenue, Shipley, for seven years.

The court heard that Bell was looking after the adapted Blow F06 pistol, loaded with six bullets, a sawn-off shotgun and ammunition for a drug dealer.

Police found the cache hidden in a suitcase in a flat in Wyke, Bradford, last November, the day after the robbery.

Bell and Baker pleaded guilty to robbing Mr Ahmed, using the pistol, after he picked them up from Rawson Street, Wyke, in his Douglas Private Hire cab at about 11.20pm on November 18.

Bell admitted illegal possession of the pistol, shotgun and ammunition.

Prosecutor Nigel Hamilton said Mr Ahmed drove the pair to Mumford Street, West Bowling, and was then directed to take them down a side street to a car park.

When he asked for his £5 fare, Bell pulled out the pistol, cocked the trigger and demanded: “Give me the money.”

He and Baker made off with £90 takings and spent it on drugs, cigarettes and mobile phone credit.

Mr Hamilton said the pistol had been converted from a blank firing gun to a weapon capable of firing live bullets.

Bell, who had never been in trouble with the police, said he was persuaded to do the robbery after smoking cannabis.

Baker, with convictions for 25 offences, including robbery, was in breach of a community order for breaking into a house in Mayo Drive, Bankfoot, Bradford, last July and making off with jewellery and other property.

His solicitor advocate, Alistair Bateman, said it was not his gun and he did not threaten Mr Ahmed.

He was 18 at the time and met Bell for the first time a few days before the robbery.

Andrew Dallas, barrister for Bell, said he was a hard working upholsterer until he became hooked on cannabis and his lifestyle became chaotic.

He was homeless and penniless and unable to say no when ordered to store the weapons.

Bell apologised to Mr Ahmed and was as baffled as anyone as to why he had been so stupid.

Judge John Potter locked both men up for five and a half years for robbery.

Bell had two years added on for storing the weapons and Baker was ordered to serve an extra 18 months for breaching the community order.

After the case, Detective Inspector Nicola Bryar, of Bradford South CID, said: “This must have been a terrifying experience for the driver of this taxi, who was merely going about his daily business. For the sake of £90 these men were prepared to use the threat of a loaded weapon to get what they wanted.

“As this pair have found to their detriment, we take firearms extremely seriously and those who use or possess them to create fear or intimidation can expect a lengthy spell behind bars.”