A MAN has been jailed for threatening a railway worker with a hammer and tying him up during a burglary of the booking office at Biggleswade railway station.

Unemployed Graham Jones, of Pinemead in Shefford, appeared at Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday October 6 where he was sentenced to an indeterminate jail term for the protection of the public.

Following a British Transport Police investigation, the court heard how on the evening of Sunday, 11 January 2009, Jones, 39, travelled from Sandy to Biggleswade to prepare for his crime.

When he arrived at the station a masked Jones cut the station’s telephone lines and alarm system, before breaking into the ticket booking office.

Once inside he waited for station staff to turn up for the morning shift. Early the next morning a member of staff opened up the office to find Jones inside.

He started to shout at him to hand over the keys to the safe, while threatening him with a hammer.

Jones then tied the man up and locked him in a toilet before emptying the safe of a substantial amount of cash and making his escape. The victim was not injured during the incident.

Detective Sergeant Dave Strange, investigating officer, said that a police investigation was immediately launched, although there were few clues for officers to go on.

Det Sgt Strange said: “The enquiry was challenging from the start as Jones had clearly planned his crime and had executed it well,”

“He had left no forensic evidence at the scene and had disposed of clothing he wore on the night.”

Jones was arrested but denied any involvement with the offence. He was charged with aggravated burglary and false imprisonment but pleaded not guilty before his trial in August this year.

It took a jury just 90 minutes to return a unanimous guilty verdict. Jones will have to serve a minimum of four years and six months before he is eligible for parole.