Video shows the moment masked raiders stole £140,000 worth of motorbikes from a warehouse - after sneaking under an open shutter door.

Striking footage shows the 12-strong gang target Noatum Logistics on the Isle of Grain in Kent in the early hours of July 5 last year.

The thieves arrived in a Nissan X-Trail, a Mercedes van and a Vauxhall Vivaro before clambering beneath the entrance - which police suspect had been left half-open by an employee.

They headed straight to the Stark Future branded boxes, each containing two bikes worth a total of £20,000.

Donning balaclavas and dark clothing, the raiders first appear to struggle to move one of the cardboard boxes.

But help is not far away as more thieves soon crawl under the shutter, which is eventually opened completely.

Seven boxes are loaded into the waiting vehicles before the looters make their getaway.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the thieves' easy access to the warehouse and their immediate location of the high-value motorcycles suggested an inside man was involved.

Of the dozen intruders, only two were in the dock on Tuesday last week to be sentenced for their roles in the break-in.

Ajay Sharp and Bobby Turner were arrested after a high-speed chase of the Nissan to the Dartford Crossing followed by a dog handler pursuit on foot.

As well as finding discarded balaclavas on their detention, police also discovered several incriminating videos on Sharp's phone, some recorded within Noatum Logistics itself.

There was also a message demanding 'many vans and men' for the job at hand.

Sharp, 22, who has five convictions for 14 offences to his name, later admitted conspiracy to burgle. However, his basis of plea that he simply acted as a 'middle man' was rejected by the court.

Turner, who at 23 has notched up 25 convictions for 49 offences including theft, burglary, fraud and shoplifting, pleaded guilty to the same charge.

His claim he played no part in planning or organising and was simply there to 'assist' for a one-off payment of £3,000 was accepted.

The court heard that of the 14 bikes taken from the business on the London Medway Commercial Park, 12 were recovered by police.

Prosecutor Daniel Cohen said the illicit enterprise required a significant degree of planning and organisation due to the number of vehicles and people involved, including an employee.

He added: 'There must have been someone at the premises working as an inside man to leave the shutter open as it was and for them to know what they were looking for when they got there.

'The Crown's contention is that Sharp was not simply a middle man but a significant contributor to the organisation of the crime.

'We cannot say it was his idea but the Crown point to the videos on his phone which indicate a significant amount of involvement.'

The videos discovered included one showing the interior of the warehouse filmed from an elevated position, looking down towards the loading bay shutters.

Another showed the view under a partially open shutter and a third was a 'walkaround' of the X-Trail.

In a fourth, Sharp could be seen in the firm's staffroom. It was captioned: 'No one stopping anyone.'

There was also a voice message talking about the contents of the boxes which stated: 'Sort as many vans as you can, yeah? We are going tonight. Try to get me a few men as well because we need as many as we can get.'

Meanwhile Mr Cohen told the court although Turner was a passenger in the X-Trail, he was not involved in organising or planning the raid.

The prosecutor also explained that, in the summer, the roller shutters at the business were opened for the bulk of the day, given the high temperature inside the warehouse, and then closed at 10pm in line with company protocol.

However, in the hours leading up to the break-in, bay 11's door was not shut properly, he said.

The raid itself was not only captured on CCTV but also partially witnessed by a staff member who alerted her colleagues and supervisors.

She later told police she had seen three or four intruders, all with their faces covered save for their eyes, crawling under the shutters, with one appearing to give instructions to the others.

Although one of the getaway vans was bearing a false registration plate, police located the X-Trail and a chase ensued in which the vehicle was driven dangerously before being lost by officers close to the Dartford Crossing, Mr Cohen said.

However, having soon been spotted on the hard shoulder of the M25 southbound carriageway, a police dog unit was called in and the occupants tracked.

Sharp, of Hazel Grove, Lewisham, south east London, was the first to be detained, followed by Turner, of Beckenham Road, Beckenham.

A third man arrested with them awaits trial, while a fourth, Charlie Arbia, 27, of The Crescent, Sidcup, was subsequently linked to the burglary through CCTV, ANPR cameras and phone cell site.

The court was told the Mercedes van was found abandoned with Stark Future boxes inside.

Like Sharp and Turner, who have been in custody since their arrests, Arbia also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle and is due to be sentenced on May 13.

Ed Carey, defending Sharp, said while his offending had been driven by a need to fund his drug habit, he had taken 'every opportunity' while on remand 'to demonstrate a necessary change in attitude'.

Apologising on behalf of his client, who was subject to a 12-month suspended jail term for an offence of malicious communication when the raid occurred, the lawyer added: 'He says what he did was stupid and wrong.

'This was a difficult period in his life but one now behind him and a one-off venture into burglary.'

Harriet Palfreman, defending Turner, said the young father was determined to be a positive role model for his 15-month-old son, having himself suffered significant childhood trauma and seen several family members go to prison, including his mother when he was just seven years old.

Highlighting the progress he made on remand by working and completing several courses, she said: 'His time in custody has allowed him to really focus and reflect on who he wants to be.

'He really does understand the very real risk if he were to find himself before a court again.'

Passing sentence on the pair, Judge Robert Lazarus said while Sharp did not play the leading part in the crime, the 'telling' videos and messages on his phone indicated an 'organisational role' above that of a middle man.

However, he said significant mitigation could be found in his difficult childhood, mental health issues, the 'excellent' use of his time in custody and the fact he was now clean of drugs.

Addressing Turner, the judge acknowledged he had played a lesser role, albeit he was subject to a two-year community order for shoplifting at the time, and had also experienced a troubled upbringing.

But, voicing concerns for the future of the defendant's child, he urged: 'Do not let your son have the same kind of upbringing you had.'

Sharp was sentenced to a total of 19 months' imprisonment, comprising 13 months for the burglary and six months for the breach of his suspended sentence order, while Turner was handed eight months' jail.

However, both men were expected to be immediately released by the prison authorities due to time already spent in custody.