A man who threatened a member of staff before stealing money from a service station in Wickford, Essex, has been jailed for three years.

Billy Sharp forced open the doors to the BP garage in Cranfield Park Road shortly after 1.50am on April 18.

Once inside he threatened a member of staff before taking a three-figure sum of cash from the till and a bottle of red wine before fleeing.

The incident was caught on CCTV, and Sharp was arrested a short time later and identified through an identification process.

He was later charged with robbery and theft and pleaded guilty to both charges at Basildon Crown Court on May 24.

The 35 year-old from Newlands Road, Wickford was jailed for three years on the same day.

Investigating officer PC Sam Winney said: “Billy Sharp forced his way into this garage and made threats to harm the person working there and all for a relatively small amount of money.

“Nobody should be threatened with violence let alone in their place of work and Sharp’s actions were unacceptable.

“He was arrested swiftly after the robbery and has at least admitted to his crimes. I hope he uses his time in prison to reflect on his actions and their consequences.”