Armed robbers who were caught by police in a high-speed chase after trying to hold up a Gipsy Hill bookmakers have been jailed.

Tyron Frank, 19, and Israel Campbell, 23, burst into William Hill, in Gipsy Road, with two other bandits and pointed an imitation firearm at terrified staff at 9pm on December 11, last year.

Frank, of Lovelace Road, West Dulwich, was jailed for a total of three years and Campbell, of Brighton Road, Croydon, for four years at Inner London Crown Court on Friday.

The court heard the gunmen smashed security glass with an iron bar to get at the day's takings after the two workers ran for cover and hid.

But they left empty handed and made off in a getaway car being driven by another bandit, Ramone Barnes, 19.

They were chased at high speed through West Norwood by cops who had seen the car speeding in York Hill.

The four gunmen opened the door several times in an effort to bail from the car, the court was told, but were forced to stop as smoke began to pour from their silver Ford Puma.

Barnes and Frank were caught red-handed in the car, while Campbell was floored by a police dog after a chase on foot. A further imitation firearm was found in the backseat of the car.

The fourth robber has never been traced.

The three men had pleaded guilty at earlier hearings to attempted robbery and possession of an imitation firearm. Barnes will be sentenced on October 8.

Judge Nigel Gerald told them: “These are very serious offences - committed late at night and clearly preplanned. The use of an imitation firearm is prevailant.”

He added: “This ordeal must have been extremely frightening for the victims.”

Frank, a college student, had convictions for 13 previous offences and Campbell, 16 previous crimes.

Both had been convicted in the past for street robberies.

In mitigation they claimed they had been forced into carrying out the robbery by a notorious member of the local community “who was not to be crossed", and had difficult upbringings.