FIVE members of a gang dubbed the Sainsbury's Firm have been jailed for a total of 40 years - for robbing the supermarket 45 times.

At the height of their year-long reign of terror last October the masked raiders stormed the store in Lewes Road, Brighton, and escaped with £18,000.

It was the fifth raid on Sainsbury's branches in Sussex in just three months.

Shoppers stood back in shock as the robbers burst into the store in balaclavas.

Armed with crowbars, they smashed open tills and grabbed cash.

A security guard challenged the gang but backed off when he was assaulted.

Before the Brighton raid the gang had hit stores in Crawley, Horsham, Newhaven and Worthing, attacking terrified staff with knives and crowbars.

They managed to grab cash and goods worth a total of £364,000 from branches across the South-East.

Blackfriars Crown Court heard yesterday the crooks, who usually struck at night, threatened anyone who stood in their way with violence and even death.

They were able to outrun police with a fleet of high performance getaway vehicles that included a Jaguar, Mercedes and a £70,000 Audi, which was torched after one raid.

The criminals blew most of the money on foreign holidays and designer clothes.

Leon Duffy, 22, Ryan Herrick, 23, Raymond Beaver, 27, and Michael Shortt, 25, admitted conspiracy to rob stores throughout London, Kent, Sussex, Essex, Surrey, Suffolk, Hants and Herts.

A fifth man, Karl Taylor, 22, admitted conspiracy to burgle.

The plot involved 45 raids on 30 separate branches, including one that was robbed four times.

The thieves were finally snared on December 2 last year by police lying in wait at Sainsbury's in Liss, Hampshire.

They were about to make off with £50,000 in bank notes, cigarettes and tobacco.

Prosecutor Mark Gadsden said it was not clear if the five before the court were involved in every raid.

Beaver joined the gang after he was released from a six-and-a-half year jail term for a £12,000 armed robbery on a jeweller's in 2000.

Mr Gadsden said: "The conspiracy involves the use of or threat of violence and is not limited simply to stealing monies and cigarettes but also getting away from the premises.

"Police cars have been rammed, high speed chases have occurred, vehicles abandoned."

He said there would be no chance of clawing back the stolen funds as they had been "squandered".

The London gang's rampage was not confined to just Sainsbury's - they also singled out Safeway, cash and carry outlets and a shop selling valuable crystal.

Duffy, of Sewell Road, Abbeywood, Herrick, of Shooters Hill, Woolwich, Beaver, of Church Manorway, Abbeywood, and Shortt, of Chalcombe Road, Abbeywood, all admitted conspiracy to rob between January 2 and December 2, last year.

Beaver and Shortt, who admitted only being present at 11 of the raids, were each given ten years.

Herrick and Duffy, who admitted involvement in five, were each given nine years.

Taylor, of 209 Shooters Hill, Woolwich, admitted conspiracy to burgle and was jailed for 30 months.

All the men except Taylor have a string of convictions ranging from burglary to robbery.

Jailing the gang, Judge Richard Walker said: "This was a sophisticated and well organised conspiracy, involving considerable planning, but I accept not limited to the men who appear in front of me.

"Whilst many offences occurred without violence, I am satisfied that as the raids continued the participants were prepared to use violence where necessary to achieve their purpose. You caused staff great distress and they must've been put in considerable fear for their safety."