A BUNGLING burglar who was locked inside a New Forest petrol station when an attempted raid went wrong has been jailed for three years.

Hooded Mark Thorneycroft targeted the Hucklesbrook service station in Fordingbridge on January 21, when a night duty cashier had been working alone.

Southampton Crown Court was told how the 23-year-old had armed himself with an 18-inch black metal torch, which he brandished in a threatening manner.

After passing a bag to the cashier, he ordered: "Empty the till into here. I mean it."

The tables were turned on Thorneycroft when 66-year-old cashier, Peter Linden-Hall, activated an emergency alarm system, immediately locking the would-be raider inside the Ringwood Road petrol station shop.

The court was shown CCTV footage of a frustrated Thorneycroft attempting to get out of the premises while Mr Linden-Hall rang 999 and reported what was happening to police.

Thorneycroft, a sprayer, of Woodend Road, Bournemouth, eventually escaped by breaking a toilet window - leaving incriminating DNA evidence at the scene.

He later pleaded guilty to attempting to rob Mr Linden-Hall of cash and damaging a window.

Speaking after the raid, Mr Linden-Hall described his entrapment of Thorneycroft.

"He said 'fill that up', but I told him to get lost," said the cashier.

"He then tried to beat me around the head, without success. I hit the electronic door and said, 'you're not going anywhere sonny, you're trapped'.

"I dialled 999 and that's when the panic set in. He went straight out the window and legged it towards Fordingbridge."

Judge David Griffiths imposed a three-year sentence after reading pre-sentence reports of the probation service.