A HOODED armed robber who terrified staff during a raid at a Stourbridge post office has been jailed.

Ravi Taware, aged 21, who pointed a pistol at a female worker during the robbery at the Junction Road store, has been put behind bars for five-years-four-months by a judge at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

The court was told Taware demanded money but the worker and a colleague quickly ducked down and crawled into an adjoining room where they pushed the panic button.

Taware then fled but left behind the bag he was hoping to use to carry the money.

Sati Ruck, prosecuting, said DNA found on the bag matched Taware who had a long criminal record including six convictions for possessing offensive weapons and an earlier attempted robbery when he was armed with a machete.

Mrs Ruck added CCTV inside the post office also helped to identify Taware who was quickly arrested by police.

He pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear and was told by Judge Martin Walsh it was clear he had targeted the post office.

The judge said: "It is not known whether the gun was real but it looked like a real gun and the victims felt it was a genuine firearm.

"There were two vulnerable females inside the post office and they were absolutely terrified as a result of what happened."

Victim impact statements by the two women - the postmistress and an assistant - said they had been badly affected by the crime which left them feeling sick, nervous and extremely uncomfortable.

Delroy Henry, for Taware, said his client had sent a letter to the post office expressing his genuine remorse for his actions.

Mr Henry added the offence was ill-contrived and it plainly showed "what the youth of today will do to try and get funds."

He said Taware, of Elton Close, Moseley Green, Wolverhampton, accepted he had caused psychological harm to the two women and concluded: "He got into a drug culture and into bad company."