TWO illegal immigrants have been sentenced to eight years in jail after subjecting a prostitute to a terrifying attack at gunpoint in her Cranbrook home.

When police raided the flat in Melbourne Road they found the woman naked and tied to a chair with electrical cables, and the men, Bilal Butt, 24, and Nadeem Shah, 26, standing over her.

She shouted to police: "They tried to kill me," and: "There's a gun under the mattress," and the police arrested the two men on suspicion of rape.

Butt had phoned the woman, a home-working prostitute, at 8.15pm on Saturday, December 30, last year and arranged for sex at a fee of £50.

When he arrived they had sex as agreed, but afterwards Butt answered the door to Shah who came in wearing a balaclava and carrying a large knife.

Butt produced a handgun and the pair punched and stripped the woman demanding money and credit cards, saying: "We're gonna kill you, we want your money, we're gonna kill you, you're a prostitute".

As Butt threatened her with the gun, the terrified woman, believing she was going to be killed, told the pair they could have all her money.

Before Butt had arrived, however, the woman had taken to precaution of calling a friend and leaving the line open, and, when her friend heard what was happening, he called 999.

Police arrived within minutes and forced entry to the flat as the men hid the gun and knife under a mattress.

Det Sgt Karl Greenaway, who helped lead the investigation, said: "These were determined individuals who committed the most serious and frightening of offences against a very vulnerable female.

"Their intentions were frustrated by the brave actions of frontline officers who could not have known what they were going to be faced with. The thoroughness of the investigation, supported by forensic science service and specialist victim support officers resulted in the pleas of guilty from the offenders."

On Friday the pair, who are both unemployed and of no known address, were sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court after pleading guilty to false imprisonment, possession of a firearm with intent to commit false imprisonment, and aggravated burglary while armed with an imitation firearm.

Judge Khayat recommended that they be deported to their native Pakistan on their release.

Det Sgt Greenaway said: "The Metropolitan Police Service will fully investigate all offences against vulnerable persons whatever their life style choices."