One of the Hatton Garden gang members has lost his appeal against an order forcing him to pay back £6.6 million.

Brian "the Guv'nor" Reader, 79, was jailed for six years and three months for his role in the infamous heist in 2015 but was released in July after serving half his sentence.

The Dartford pensioner claimed a confiscation order was wrongly imposed following the raid, in which cash, gold and gems worth an estimated £13 million were stolen.

Only about £4m of the stolen gold and jewellery was ever recovered.

Reader failed to persuade three judges at the Court of Appeal the order against him should be quashed.

Reader had argued he did not gain financially from the heist, during which the gang drilled through thick concrete to reach a vault in London’s famous jewellery quarter.

At an earlier hearing, Woolwich Crown Court heard Reader pulled out of the heist after first night when the gang failed to drill into the vault.

Other gang members were recorded saying he did not deserve a penny.

The failure of the appeal raises the prospect of more jail time for Reader, who is said to be in ill health.

In August, his accomplice Daniel Jones, of Enfield, north London, was handed more jail time after failing to pay back more than £6 million.

He was sentenced to another six years and 287 days because he failed to pay off the confiscation order imposed in his case. He was originally jailed for seven years.

In the original trial, his accomplices John Collins, and Terry Perkins were also jailed for seven years each for conspiracy to commit burglary.

Two others, Carl Wood and William Lincoln were convicted of conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to conceal, convert or transfer criminal property.

Wood was given six years in prison and Lincoln seven.

Hugh Doyle received a suspended sentence after he was found guilty of concealing, converting or transferring criminal property.