A teenager who tried to rob a jewellery shop has been jailed for eight years.

Calvin Brown and three associates arrived at Coleby’s jewellery shop in Billericay High Street at around 11.35am on Thursday January 31, 2018.

They used sledgehammers and the three mopeds they were riding to break through the glass shop front.

The owner of the neighbouring hairdressers attempted to distract them by throwing their shop sign at them.

But the group drove one of the mopeds through the shop front.

A van driver trapped two of the mopeds by manoeuvring his van to prevent them from hurting anyone, despite them smashing his windscreen.

All four suspects then got on the remaining moped and rode off.

Police traced them to the area of The Swallows, where all the motorcycle clothing and the bike itself had been discarded.

Brown, 19, was arrested later the same day. He had been on bail at the time for other offences, with conditions that he wear an electronic tag, not leave his address from 7pm until 7am, and not enter the area within the M25 border.

The electric tag’s monitoring system showed he had been out of his home between 10.33am and 11.45am on the day of the incident and then left again at 12.35pm.

He was arrested at 1pm.

Brown, of Outwood Common Road, Billericay, admitted a charge of aggravated burglary at Basildon Youth Court on Wednesday 6 March.

Sentencing was adjourned until Tuesday July 30 at Basildon Crown Court.

Brown was also sentenced for five unrelated charges of robbery and one of theft. These all happened in London before January 31, 2018.

He was jailed for a total of eight years for all the offences.

Investigating officer PC Johnda Hughes, of the Basildon local policing team, said: “This was a brazen attempt at stealing from a jewellery shop in broad daylight, when the shops were at their busiest and we received more than 20 calls to 999 at the time.

"Brown showed no regard for the danger his reckless actions posed to the public and was clearly prepared to use violence”

“Thankfully no-one was hurt and nothing was stolen.”

The judge recommended that the salon worker and van driver each receive a High Sheriff Award.