A man who was part of a gang that used a concrete slab to smash their way into a One Stop convenience store in Epworth, North Lincolnshire, has been jailed for 10 months.

The gang stole £1,521 of Lottery scratchcards along with half-a-dozen bottles of vodka, two charity tins and some loose change after breaking in through the store’s window in October 2017.

However, when attempting to get away, the gangs’ vehicle crashed into a police car and after a chase, ended up wedged between two bollards, Grimsby Crown Court heard.

The driver, Stephen Johns, admitted burglary and dangerous driving.  

David Godfrey, mitigating for Johns, said he accepted responsibility, acted stupidly and had conceded: “I was as guilty as everyone else.

“It was utter folly picking up the object. It’s disgraceful.”

Johns’ two other accomplices Nigel McKenna and Duncan Robinson were both given 10-month suspended prison sentences.