Fast-reacting reporters from the Slough Express were first to the scene of the dramatic court break-out of two prisoners by three masked gunmen.

They arrived shortly after reports of shots being fired into the ceiling of Court 1 at the town’s magistrates’ court, next door to the main police station.

A reporter who had been in court missed the action by seconds – and was on her way to her next job when the pandemonium broke out.

Slough news editor for the Windsor, Slough and Eton Express series, Nick Shepley, said: “We had the first reporters in the country there.

“Within half an hour we had six at the scene as well as a photographer.

“We broke the story on our website updated it as the details emerged.”

The paper’s good relationship with the courts ensured the tip-off came right away, despite the court reporter having left the premises.

Nick said: “We may have missed out on the event itself but we wouldn’t have wanted one of our reporters confronted by a firearm.

“It became a media circus soon afterwards but we were the first off the mark.

“We pride ourselves in being first at the scene for ‘national’ stories.

“The same thing happened in 1998 when there was triple axe murder and the news was broken in the Express.”

A lawyer who was in the courtroom at the time of the attack said: “I was absolutely terrified and am still shaking now.”

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