Two men have been jailed for a total of seven years for the armed robbery of a betting shop in Brighlingsea.

Thomas Turner,29 of Illex Close Colchester and Lewis Wild, 19, of John Street, Brightlingsea threatened staff at the Ladbrokes in Victoria Place with a crowbar at 9,30pm on March 11 2017.

They forced open the door of the shop while staff were cashing up and demanded they hand over cash before making off in a car parked nearby, making off with £200 in cash.

The two men were arrest in Weeley on March 12 2017.

Turner was charged with robbery and possession of an offensive weapon.

He pleaded guilty to the offences at the started of his trial at Chelmsford Crown Court in January 2018 and was sentenced to 42 months imprisonment for robbery and a month imprisonment for possession of an offensive weapon on February 22 2018.

The sentences are to be run concurrently.

Wild was charged with robbery. He failed to appear to stand trial but was found guilty in his absence.

He was arrested in Brightlingsea on February 6 2018 and was sentences with Turner.

Wild was sentenced to 42 months imprisonment.