THREE men have appeared in court charged with stealing £18,000 from a cash machine.

Robert Flint, 25, of Queen Elizabeth Drive, Stanford-le-Hope, is charged with breaking into the Co-Op, in Stanford-le-Hope High Street, with two other men on January 21, 2016.

Jamie Johnson, 26, of Littlebury Green, Basildon, and Joshua Lloyd, 21, of Oak Green, Billericay, are also charged with the offence. The three are alleged to have stolen the cash from the shops’ ATM.

The men appeared at Basildon Crown Court for a plea hearing but did not enter pleas. They will return to the court on June 30 for a further hearing before a planned trial in October.

All three face seven further joint charges.

They are charged with burglary at the Co-Op, in Wickford, on March 8; burglary at Generations Beauticians, in Leigh, on March 31; burglary at a dry cleaners in Billericay High Street on March 30; two counts of burglary at William Hills, in Shenfield High Street, on March 31; burglary at Cut and Shave, in Hall Road, Maldon, on April 4, and burglary at Rightprice, in North Street, Southminster, on April 4.