The Drama of York's £1.7million art gallery robbery was recounted in court today as one of two men arrested over the raid was released from custody by magistrates.

The court heard how police mounted a surveillance operation and seized back the city's treasures in a swoop at a supermarket car park.

Police arrested William Spence, aged 49, when 18 of the paintings were found in the boot of a car he was driving in the Rotherham car park on May 17, prosecutor Alan Mitcheson told York magistrates.

Spence's passenger was his stepson Craig William Townend, aged 28, whom police allege was one of the two masked men who held four art gallery staff at gunpoint.

The Rotherham pair had just left a hotel where Townend had had a business meeting. Mr Mitcheson told how the robbery had unfolded on January 22.

"During a period of 40 minutes, the robbers removed 20 paintings," he claimed.

"The staff were threatened and of course feared for their own safety.

"When the two men departed, it is right to say further threats were made to the staff designed to persuade them not to call the police."

But police were called and magistrates heard today how detectives started following both Spence and Townend.

After they were stopped with 18 paintings, the remaining two were found in Townend's bedroom in the house he shared with Spence in Middle Avenue, Rawmarsh, Rotherham, alleged Mr Mitcheson.

Police also found two holdalls they claim are identical to those used in the raid.Today magistrates released Spence on conditional bail after a Rotherham businessman put up £18,000 as surety.

And in a surprise move, his lawyer, Steve Smith, of Rotherham, got reporting restrictions lifted in a bid to get more witnesses to come forward. Spence, father of an 11-year-old child, is charged with handling the paintings, worth about £1.7 million, knowing they were stolen. Townend, aged 28, is charged with the art gallery robbery. He made no application for bail and was remanded in custody.

Both men will next appear before York magistrates on June 8.

During today's hour-long hearing, Mr Mitcheson said: "The Crown accepts that William Spence doesn't in fact bear any physical resemblance to either of the two men known to have taken part in the robbery."

In lengthy police interviews, Spence had denied knowing anything about the paintings found in a suitcase in his car.

But in his police interviews, Townend had said that he did know about them, said Mr Mitcheson.

"It beggars belief to suggest to the court this is not a man who was not fully aware of the circumstances of what was occurring," he added about Spence.

It was highly unlikely that the robbers would have involved any innocent person in the disposal of the paintings.

Mr Smith said: "Let us make no bones about it. This man (Spence) was not responsible for the robbery."

"He is simply a window cleaner in the Rotherham area. I mean him no disrespect."

He added: "Following the offence, it is significant this man, who is a prime mover if you believe the prosecution, ..... was out collecting moneys on his round cleaning windows, not the activities of a high roller, you may think."

Spence had lived in Rotherham for 28 years and had nowhere else to go, said Mr Smith.

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