THREE robbers have been jailed after stealing £1,800 from a post office.

Mohammed Yousaf, aged 48, Sajid Latif, aged 43, and Zaffar Latif, aged 41, were jailed for a total of more than eight years after raiding the post office in Crescent Road, Great Lever on March 2.

Yousaf drove the three of them to Crescent Road at around 9pm and parked on the street opposite the post office before the other two men, wearing balaclavas and gloves, got out of the car.

Sajid and Zaffar Latif entered the store and demanded the post master, Mohammed Javed, hand over the money, but Mr Javed refused and stood up to the pair.

There was a confrontation before Mr Javed managed to restrain Zaffar Latif, and Sajid Latif fled the scene.

Mr Yousaf then got out of the car and managed to free Zaffar Latif and both escaped.

But all three were later arrested by police.

Sentencing them at Bolton Crown Court yesterday, Judge Graeme Smith said: "This was a serious offence. On March 2 of this year, the three of you decided to rob your local post office.

"You were in a car that was parked across the street with one of you, Yousaf, at the driver's seat, ready to go as soon as the robbery was complete.

"The plan had a number of significant flaws. Sajid Latif ran off at the first challenge by Mohammed Javed, and lost his shoes by doing so, and Mohammed Yousaf had to go and extricate Zaffar Latif.

"I have to praise Mr Javed who bravely confronted the three of you. He struggled first of all with Zaffar Latif and then with Mohammed Yousaf, who came to try and rescue Mr Latif.

"Fortunately, Mr Javed only suffered minor injuries as a result but the person who was on work experience has said that she has had flashbacks and said she could never work in a store by herself.

"Therefore, this was a serious offence. The post office was robbed by two men, who were wearing balaclavas and gloves, and it lost nearly £2,000, so it cannot be described as a minor offence."

After they were arrested, both Zaffar and Sajid Latif pleaded guilty to the offence but Yousaf pleaded not guilty and was convicted by a jury.

Yousaf, who did not have a home address, was sentenced to four years and four months, 16 months of that being from a suspended sentence from a previous offence.

Sajid Latif, of Bradford Road, Bolton, was given two years and four months in prison and Zaffar Latif, of Marlbrook Walk, was sentenced to two years.

Both of the Latifs were given full credit for the early guilty pleas.