A ROBBER who forced a mother and daughter into a back office of Blockbusters before the safe was rifled has been jailed for five years at Worcester Crown Court.

Aynols Reid and an accomplice wore hoodies and scarves over their faces when they targeted Blockbusters on the Trafford Retail Park earlier this year.

The other man - who has not been identified - picked up the lone shop assistant and carried her to the office.

She was ordered to open the safe and more than £1,000 was grabbed before the pair fled in a getaway car, leaving her locked in a cupboard.

The robbers abandoned the Peugeot 307 in Northfield following a police chase.

Keys found near the vehicle were traced to an address in the West Midlands where Reid was living with his pregnant girlfriend, said Walter Bealby, prosecuting.

Reid, 30, of Beddoe Close in Tipton, pleaded guilty to robbery and two counts of common assault on the mother and daughter who were shopping in the store.

Judge Robert Juckes QC said witnesses to the crime "must have been terrified".

He added: "This was a very serious robbery and there has to be a deterrent sentence. Most of the aggravating features are present.

“The robbers wore disguises and witnesses were restrained."

Reid drove his girlfriend's car to the scene at around 11am.

The other man was armed with a chisel as they walked into Blockbusters through the front door.

Mobile phones were snatched off the mother and daughter, and pushed into a bag of popcorn to stop them calling for help.

A total of £1,047 was stolen from the till.

Ben Mills, defending, said Reid played a "more passive role" than his armed accomplice, who gave out the orders.

He had expressed genuine remorse and would like to meet the victims to try and explain that he was "not as bad as they feel in their nightmares".

Mr Mills said the father-of-one, who had two previous convictions for possession of cannabis, recognised he had ruined his life and insisted he would never offend again.