A gym instructor who forced a taxi driver to rob a bank for him by threatening him with a gun and "bombs" has been jailed for more than six years.

Andrew Patrick held a gun at petrified Alistair Rankine before giving him a bag he said had a bomb inside.

Patrick, who pretended to be Polish, ordered the driver to steal cash from a Bank of Scotland branch in Kirkcaldy, Fife, on November 11.

Mr Rankine handed over a note to staff that claimed they had to fill the bag with money, and that devices would go off if police were called. The letter also claimed the driver had a bomb strapped to him.

When Mr Rankine eventually left the bank with almost £10,000, Patrick was gone.

The explosives were found to be fake, consisting of tubes, cotton wool and a mobile phone circuit board.

Patrick was later caught following a high-profile media appeal, although he initially denied being involved.

The 40-year-old was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison on Friday.

Patrick, of Lochgelly, was a first offender who had been working as an instructor at the Fitness Factor gym in Kirkcaldy.

He was earning up to £300 per week, but the court previously heard that he had been having financial difficulties.

Taxi driver Mr Rankine was working at around 1pm on November 11 last year when he was asked to make a pick-up at an industrial estate in Lochgelly, Fife.

Patrick made the call to the taxi office while using a fake Polish accent.

When Mr Rankine arrived, Patrick, who was wearing a cap, sunglasses and had his chin covered with a scarf, got in clutching two holdalls.

Patrick, still claiming to be foreign, gave directions but they ended up at a dead end in Kirkcaldy.

He then pulled out a black handgun and said: "You'll be safe if you do what I say."

He handed a note to Mr Rankine and insisted he hand it over to staff at the nearby Bank of Scotland on Carberry Road.

A shaken Mr Rankine got out of his car taking one of the holdalls with him.

As he crossed the road, he pleaded with a passer-by: "I am a taxi driver, there is a boy in my taxi with a gun. It's not a wind up."

The driver walked into the bank and told a staff member that he had been ordered to hand over the typed note.

It stated: "There is a transmitter in your bank and the lines are wired. We can hear you and know if you try to call police.

"There is a bomb strapped to this man ... also in the bag. They can go off if transmitter detect signal or call."

The note also said once money was received Mr Rankine would return with a code to deactivate "the bombs".

It added: "You have four mins to fill this bag."

Police were alerted and the note was read over to them, while a security alarm was also pressed.

One worker looked in the holdall and saw what she assumed was a bomb. Staff initially filled the bag with around £7000 but Mr Rankine said "they would not be happy with that" and asked for more.

He nervously left with nearly £10,000 in cash, but when he went back to his car, he found Patrick had vanished.

Patrick had gone to a nearby store where he was a regular customer.

A shop worker then gave him a lift back to the fitness centre unaware what had just happened.

Armed officers, a bomb disposal team, police air support and a dog unit attended the bank.

As staff were evacuated to a nearby bingo hall, a radio-controlled robot was used to retrieve the bag which was feared to contain an explosive device.

The "bombs" turned out to be grey tubes held together with masking tape, while there were also "circuit boards" which were actually keypads of a mobile phone.

The money from the bank was later recovered.

Police found Patrick matched the description of the suspect and his mobile phone placed him in the area at the time of the crime.

His home, car and work was searched. Paperwork was found at the gym which showed he had money troubles and a cap, similar to one described by Mr Rankine, was also discovered.

Patrick initially rejected allegations he was involved but later told police about the location of the imitation firearm that he had used, and he was charged at the beginning of December.

Mr Rankine continues to suffer flashbacks, insomnia, anxiety and fear and bank staff were left "extremely shaken".

Detective sergeant Graeme Dursley of Kirkcaldy CID, said: "This was a terrifying ordeal for the taxi driver and members of staff at the bank, especially given the threat of an alleged explosive device, who must be commended for their bravery throughout the ordeal last November.

"I want to praise the taxi driver and the bank staff for their courage and their assistance during our investigation.

"The business premises around the bank deserve our thanks too for providing us with vital CCTV footage as well as the wider community of Kirkcaldy for their continued support of this investigation.

"Officers responded quickly to ensure the safety of local residents, utilising EOD resources to ensure there was no threat posed by the device.

"It is also a testament to the extensive inquiries carried out by the investigation team to identify Patrick as the assailant that he will now spend a significant period of time in jail."