A FURTHER two men will stand trial in connection with the theft of £100,000 worth of guns from a lorry in Basildon, Kenneth Slade, 34, of Ferndown Close, Southend and Adam Balding, 31, of Grosvenor Road, Westcliff, denied conspiring to receive stolen firearms with two others.

They also denied possessing a firearmwithout a certificate and possessing a shotgun without a licence when they appeared at Basildon Crown Court yesterday.

The charges relate to the theft of 83 firearms from a truck, which was parked overnight on the Burnt Mills Industrial Estate, on April 18.

The driver was taking a rest break while driving the cargo fromamanufacturer in Devon to a customer in France, but was first making pick-ups in the east of England.

Four men have since pleaded guilty to stealing the firearms between April 18 and April 20, possessing firearms without a licence and possessing shotguns without a certificate.

They are Daniel Harris, 33, of Godman Road, Chadwell St Mary, Ashley Henry, 27, of no fixed address, Ryan Heapy, 24, of Hobart Road, and Matthew Wells, 28, of Godman Road, Chadwell St Mary Jason Balding, 33, of Nicholson Crescent, Benfleet and Mark Box, 29, of no fixed address admitted receiving the stolen firearms, possessing firearms without a licence and possessing shotguns without a certificate.

Two other defendants, Eric Rudanec, 52, of Southchurch Avenue, in Southend, and Marcus Ireson, 28, from Grays, denied receiving the stolen firearms, possessing shot guns without a certificate and possessing firearms without a licence.

They will stand trial along with Slade and Balding.

The trial of Slade and Balding is listed to start at Basildon Crown Court on November 24, while the men who have pleaded guilty to their part in the theft will be sentenced once the trial has concluded.