A man from Mid Wales who served 10 years for a raid on a Tesco store more than 30 years ago is to launch a fourth appeal to have his conviction quashed.

Anthony Stock, from Powys, was convicted at Leeds Assizes of robbery in July 1970, but has always protested his innocence.

His original appeal was dismissed in 1971, his case has twice been looked into by the Home Secretary and a second appeal also came to nothing in 1996.

His third appeal against conviction was dismissed in April 2004, but today the way is open for Stock, formerly of Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, to continue his battle to clear his name.

In a unique move, the Criminal Cases Review Commission, the independent body which reviews possible miscarriages of justice, has again referred his case to London’s Court of Appeal for review.

Now in his late 60s, Stock, who lives between Rhayader and Llandrindod Wells, was alleged to have been part of a four-man gang which carried out the raid at the Merrion Centre, Leeds.

The gang attacked staff with a metal bar and made off with £4,000.

A commission spokesman said Stock’s case was being referred back to the Appeal Court for a fourth hearing – the first time that has ever happened.

The spokesman said it had “considered a range of issues”, including new evidence about the conduct of the original police investigation, particularly in relation to identification procedures.

He said: “Other issues concern non-disclosure to the defence, the summing-up at the original trial and new evidence and argument about the credibility of the ‘supergrass’ evidence.”